4 CATEGORIES TO DESCRIBE

WATER QUALITY

Physical.
 Associated with the appearance of wastes
 E.g. Color, odor etc.

Chemical
 Associated to their chemical nature, compositions,
observed reactions (comparative performance of hardness
& softness)
 Most often, differences are not visible.
 Microbiology
 Very important in their relation to public health
 Significant in modifying the physical and chemical
characteristic of wastes.

Radiological
 Considered in areas where there is a possibility that
the wastes may have come in contact with radioactive
substances.
 Physical Characteristics

Density/Specific weight Color

Moisture content Voids
Particle size Shape of components
Size distribution Optical property
Field capacity Magnetic properties
Compacted waste porosity Electric properties
The major physical characteristics measured in waste are:

(1) density
(2) size distribution of components and
(3) moisture content.

Other characteristics which may be used in making decision

about solid waste management are:
(1) Color
(2) Voids
(3) Shape of components
(4) Optical property
(5) Magnetic properties and
(6) Electric properties
Optical property can be used to segregate opaque materials from
transparent substances which would predominately contain glass and
plastic.

• Magnetic separators are designed based on the magnetic

characteristics
of the waste.

• Moisture content is essential for leachate calculation and composting.

• Density is used to assess volume of transportation vehicle and size of

the
disposal facility.

• Shape can be used for segregation as flaky substance will behave

differently compared to non-flaky substance.
The most important characteristic of
industrial wastewater are;

1- Composed of floating matter,

2- Settleable matter,
3- Colloidal matter and
4- Matter in solution.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIAL
WASTEWATER
Physical Characteristics
1= Total Solids

Analytically the total solids content of a wastewater is defined as all the matter
that remains as residue upon evaporation at 103 to 105°C.
2= Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Those solids that pass through the filter and are then evaporated and
dried at specified temp.
Are the total amount of mobile charged ions, including minerals, salts or
metals dissolved in a given volume of water, expressed in units of mg per unit
volume of water (mg/L), also referred to as parts per million (ppm).

It has further 2 types

1.Volatile dissolved solids.

These solids are converted into gaseous form by using high temperature
(100-250 °C)

2. Fixed dissolve solids.

These solids remains in solid form after heating the solution at high
temperature.
3= Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

These are solids in water that can be trapped by a filter. TSS can include a wide variety
of material, such as silt, decaying plant and animal matter, industrial wastes, and
sewage. High concentrations of suspended solids can cause many problems for stream
health and aquatic life.

It have further 3 types;

1- Settleable suspended solids

These solids always remains in suspended form after a long time in
the solution (Never settle down as precipitates)

2- Non-Settleable suspended solids

These solids settle down as precipitates in solution after a short
interval of time.

3- Volatile Suspended Solid (VSS)

Solids that can be volatilized and burned off when TSS are ignited at 500+50
o
 Sludge
Solids removed by settling and separated from wash
water are called sludge, which may then be pumped
to drying beds or filtered for extraction of additional
water (dewatering).

TURBIDITY
Refer to degree of absorption of light energy in visible spectrum (400-700nm)

Causes by ;
• dissolved organic material from decaying vegetation & certain inorganic matter.
• excessive blooms of algae or growth of aquatic microorganisms.

Sometimes color matters needs chemical oxidation procedures for removal.

 CHARACTERISTICS
Odors
Industrial wastes may contain either odorous compounds or
compounds that produce odor during the process of wastes treatment.
Color
Color of industrial wastes varies according to the type of industry.

Most colored matter is in a dissolved state..

Turbidity
Turbidity, a measure of the light-transmitting properties of wastes
(Only industrial water not solid wastes), is another test used to
indicate the quality of industrial wastes water discharges and natural
waters with respect to colloidal and residual suspended matter.
 CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
Organic Matter
The presence of these substances has complicated industrial wastewater treatment because
many of them either cannot be or are very slowly decomposed biologically.
Typical examples include:
- Fats, Oils, and Grease.
- Surfactants.
- Phenols.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
- Pesticides & Agricultural Chemicals.
Inorganic Matter
● Nitrogen & Phosphorus.

● Sulfur.
● Heavy Metals.
 ODOR
 Cause by foreign matter (organic compound, inorganic salts
dissolved gases.

 Odors are usually caused by gases produced by the

decomposition of organic matter or by substances added to
the wastes.

 Industrial wastes may contain either odorous compounds or

compounds that produce odor during the process of wastes
treatment.

 Comes from domestic, agricultural natural sources.

Chemical
Properties
Important chemical properties measured for solid waste are:

(1) moisture (water content can change chemical and physical

properties)
(2) Volatile matter
(3) Ash
(4) Fixed carbon
(5) Fusing point of ash
(6) Calorific value
(7) Percent of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and ash.
 pH
The hydrogen-ion concentration is an important
quality parameter of wastes and waste water.

The concentration range suitable for the existence of

most biological life is quite narrow and critical.

Waste and waste water with an adverse concentration

of hydrogen ion is difficult to treat by biological means.

If the concentration is not altered before discharge, the

industrial wastes water may alter the concentration in
the natural waters.
 CHLORIDE
Most of water contain.
-Leaching of marine sedimentary deposits
-Pollution from sea water brine, industrial, domestic waste.
Chloride conc. > 250 mg/L – noticeable taste
Domestic water should contain < 100 mg/L chloride.

FLUORIDE

Some areas – water source contain natural fluoride.

Excessive fluoride in drinking water – produce fluorosis
(mottling) of teeth.
Acceptable level for fluoride conc. between 0.8 – 1.3 mg/L
 NITROGEN
Because nitrogen is an essential building block in the synthesis
of protein, nitrogen data will be required to evaluate the
treatability of wastewater by biological processes.

Insufficient nitrogen can necessitate the addition of nitrogen to

make the wastewater treatable.

Where control of alga growth in the receiving water is

necessary to protect beneficial uses, removal or reduction of
nitrogen in wastewaters prior to discharge may be desirable.

The total nitrogen, as a commonly used parameter, consists of

many numerous compounds such as; NH3, NH4-N, NO3-N, NO2-
N, urea, organic-N (amines, amino acids, ...etc).
 Phosphorus.
Phosphorus is also essential to the growth of algae and other
biological organisms.

The organically bound phosphorus is an important constituent of

industrial wastewater and sludge.

Sulfur.
Sulfate is reduced biologically under anaerobic conditions to
sulfide, which in turn can combine with hydrogen to form hydrogen
sulfide (H2S).

The accumulated H2S can then be oxidized biologically to sulfuric

acid, which is corrosive to steel pipes and equipment.
 TOXIC INORGANIC SUBSTANCES
Major classes ;
a) Nitrates (NO3) -
b)Cyanides (CN)
c)Heavy metals constituents;
– arsenics (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead
(Pb), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and silver (Ag)
- effects – cause poisons ( As and Cr 6+)
- chronic disease (Pb, Cd, and Hg)

TOXIC ORGANIC SUBSTANCES

There are over 120 toxic organic compounds listed on U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency’s Priority Pollutant List.
Eg; pesticide, insecticides and solvents.
Effects may be acute chronic.
 Fusing Point of Ash

The fusing point ash is defined as that temperature at which

the ash resulting from the burning of waste will form a
solid (clinker) by fusion and agglomeration.

Typical fusing temperature for the formation of clinker

from solid waste range from 2000 to 2200 °F (1100 to
1200 °C )
 3- MICROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
DISEASE -PRODUCING ORGANISMS
(pathogens)

Water for drinking & cooking purposes must be made FREE

from disease-producing organisms (pathogens)

Disease-producing organisms (pathogens) – viruses, bacteria,

protozoa and helminths (worms) also associated with wastes.

Some organism can cause disease in people originate with the

fecal discharge of infected individuals animals.
 4- RADIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Cause by;

The development and use of atomic energy as a power

source

The effect of human exposure to radiation radioactive

materials are HARMFUL and any unnecessary exposure
should be avoided.

The amount of radiation to which the individual is normally

exposed varies with the amount of background radioactivity.

Water with high radioactivity is not normal

 Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to
damage an exposed organism.

Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such

as;
•Animal

•Bacterium

•Plant
 TYPES OF TOXICITY
PHYSICAL
It include things not usually thought of under the heading of "toxic" by many
people
-e.g. direct blows, concussion, sound and vibration, heat and cold etc

CHEMICAL
It include inorganic substances such as lead, mercury, asbestos, hydrofluoric
acid, and chlorine gas
-also organic compounds such as methyl alcohol, most medications, and
poisons from living things.

BIOLOGICAL
It include those bacteria and viruses that are able to induce disease in living
organisms.
-can be complicated to measure because the "threshold dose" may be a single
organism.
-Theoretically one virus, bacterium or worm can reproduce to cause a serious
infection.
THE END……