EENV101

Pollution Environment: Water

Introduction to Water
Pollution
 Learning Objectives
1. Identify the different water pollutants and
sources (industrial, residential, agricultural,
commercial) as well as their effects on the
environment and society.
2. Enumerate and describe the most
important water quality parameters for
domestic wastewater.
3. Know Water Sampling and Water Quality
Testing Procedures for – BOD,COD, pH,
TSS, metals, DO, color, Total and fecal
coliform, dissolved and residual chlorine.
4. Discuss the fundamentals of Biological
Treatment Processes.
The cost of polluted water
• The Philippines Environment Monitor
2003, a World Bank publication
reported that: “The annual economic
losses caused by water pollution are
estimated at PhP67 billion…”
» 3 billion for health
» 17 billion for lost fisheries production
» 47 billion for tourism
Water-
related
health
costs
 Water Pollution
• Affects fresh, marine and
groundwater resources
• also affects the adjacent
terrestrial areas by deposition
and accumulation of
pollutants
• Limits the productivity of
agricultural lands that are
dependent on the water
supply for irrigation
 Water
Pollution
sources
Specific sources/origins:

• Domestic waste (48%) – bathing,

laundry, sanitation, cleaning,
cooking, washing and other kitchen
activities
• Agricultural runoff (37%) – organic
wastes such as decayed plants,
livestock manure and dead animals
• Industrial (15%) – may be organic or
inorganic depending on the nature
of the industry
Water and waste water Characteristics
• The quality of water determines it’s usefulness
– drinking water
– Irrigation source
– Recreational
• The quality of water is determined by several
parameters
Water and waste water Characteristics
PHYSICAL INORGANIC ORGANIC BIOLOGICAL
CHEMICAL CHEMICAL
Color Ammonia BOD5 Bacteria
Odor Nitrite COD Helminths
Solids Nitrate TOC Protozoa
Temperature Organic nitrogen Specific organic Viruses
compounds
Turbidity Total Kjeldhal
nitrogen
Oil and Grease Total phosphorus
Inorganic
phosphorus
Organic phosphorus
Metals
Alkalinity
pH
Dissolved Oxygen
Color

• A highly colored wastewater prevents

the transmission of light thru water
effectively reducing or worse eliminating
altogether the photosynthetic activity
beneath the water surface.
• Color is usually measured either by visual
comparison with standard solutions or by
light transmission in a spectrophotometer
• Measured in PCUs or platinum cobalt
units
Taste and Odor

• -both organic and inorganic

contaminants may cause taste
and odor problems in water
• -difficult to quantify because
they are subjective
• Quantitative tests rely on human
senses of smell and taste
• TON (Threshold Odor Number)
Example: Calculate the
• FTN ( Flavor Threshold Number) threshold odor number (TON)
for a 25 ml sample that is
𝑨+𝑩 𝑨+𝑩
𝑻𝑶𝑵 = 𝑭𝑻𝑵 = diluted to 200 ml before no
𝑨 𝑨 odor is detected

A = ml of sample
B= ml of odor/taste free , distilled water used
pH

• A measure of the acidity/basicity of

water/wastewater/effluents.
• Must be measured immediately after
acquiring the sample
• Glass electrode or by pH paper
 Oil and Grease
• Oil and grease in wastewater is a
concern for both the recipient water
bodies and designers of wastewater
treatment plants.
• In waterways, it impedes oxygen
transfer into the water.
• In biological treatment plants, it
creates an imbalance in the biological
flora and results in the of non-
biodegradable compounds
• Oil pertains to the liquid portion while
grease pertains to the solidified floating
mass
Oil and Grease
Solids
• - important parameter in designing
waste water treatment plant

Total Solids

Total
Total Dissolved
Suspended
Solids (TDS)
Solids (TSS)

Volatile
Volatile
Suspended
Dissolved Solids
Solids (VSS)

Fixed Fixed Dissolved

Suspended Solids
Solids
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
• TSS is a measure of the
amount of solids suspended
in wastewater. The
wastewater sample is
passed thru filter media
such glass fiber which
retains the solids. This is
dried to remove moisture
and the weight gain of the
filter is recorded in
milligrams per liter.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
 Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Example: The following test results were obtained on an influent sample to an
industrial wastewater treatment plant. All solid analyses were performed using
a sample volume of 50 mL. Determine the concentration of

a) Total Solids (TS)

b) Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
c) Volatile Suspended Solids ( VSS)
d) Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

• Tare weight of evaporating dish = 54.6423 g

• Weight of evaporating dish plus residue
after evaporation at 105 C = 54.7148 g
• Weight of evaporating dish plus residue
after ignition at 550C = 54.6818 g
• Tare weight of Whatman glass fiber filter = 1.5434 g
• Weight of Whatman glass fiber filter and
residue after drying at 105 C = 1.5625 g
• Weight of Whatman glass fiber filter and residue
after ignition at 550C = 1.5531 g
Temperature
- Solubility of gases and chemical species are temperature
dependent
- Metabolism of aquatic species increase with temperature
Turbidity
- Measure of the extent to which light is either scattered or
absorbed by colloidal and suspended solids in water
- Clay, silt finely divided organic and inorganic matter,
plankton and microorganism commonly caused turbidity
- Measured by “turbidimeters” and units for turbidity are
expressed in Nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)
 Biochemical oxygen demand, BOD

• The most widely used parameter of organic

pollution applied to both wastewater and surface
water.
• Reflects the amount of oxygen necessary for
aerobic bacteria to digest pollutants
• Reported in mg oxygen per liter of water (mg O2/L)

C8H 12N 2O3 + 3O2 C 5H 7O2 N + NH 3 + 3CO2 H 2O

Cas new
ein bacterial
cells
 Biochemical oxygen demand, BOD

• An approximation of theoretical oxygen deman

(ThOD)
• Theoretical oxygen demand relates the quantity of
oxygen required to oxidize the organic matter to
carbon dioxide and water and can be calculated
if the formula of organic compound is known
Example:
Calculate the ThOD of 500 mg/L glucose (C6H12O6)
The BOD test in simple terms
• A water sample is
allowed to be
aerobically digested by
bacteria, and the
difference of dissolved
oxygen concentration
before and after
digestion is measured.
The BOD test
– Only biologically
degradable compounds
are reported
– Usually measured at 5 days
(for a 5 day BOD test/BOD5)
– Several dilutions of the
unknown wastewater
sample must be done in
order to assure that the
analysis is valid.
The BOD test in technically correct terms
The biochemical oxygen demand determination is
an empirical test in which standardized laboratory
procedures are used to determine the relative
oxygen requirement of wastewaters, effluents, and
polluted waters.

𝐷1 − 𝐷2
𝐵𝑂𝐷𝑡 =
𝑃
BODt = biochemical oxygen demand of the sample at time “t) mg/L
D1 = DO concentration of diluted sample immediately after
preparation mg/L
D2 = DO concentration of diluted sample after “t” days of
incubation, mg/L
T = incubation time, normally five days
P = decimal fraction of sample used
The BOD test in technically correct terms
Example:
A 5 day BOD test is performed on a primary effluent
wastewater sample. 10 mL of primary effluent are
added to each 300 mL BOD bottle to which
dilution water is added. A total of four BOD bottles
are used in this particular test. The average DO of
the diluted waste water samples at the beginning
and end of the BOD test is 9.2 mg/L and 4.3 mg/L
respectively. Calculate the BOD5 of the primary
effluent.
Chemical Oxygen Demand, COD

• The COD test is used to measure the

content of organic matter of both
wastewater and surface water.
• Is also a measure of organic pollutants
but thru chemical oxidation.
 The COD test
• Also a measure of the pollutant
concentrations in water, however
this method also reports non-
biodegradable components
• The test can take as little as 2 hours
and can be portable.
Disadvantages of the BOD and COD tests

The COD test The BOD test

• Test results in 2 hrs • Takes 5 days
• Reports other • Susceptible to
materials that are inconsistencies due
not biodegradable to microbial
performance
• Requires controlled
incubation
 Untreated water and the
BOD/COD ratio

Case 1: BOD/COD ratio is close to 0.7,

the water tested is considered very
biodegradable. This is usually the case
for domestic wastewater and food
industry wastewater.

Case 2: BOD/COD ratio is less than 0.3,

the water is considered non-
biodegradable.
Sample wastewater test result:
Test Result Units Regulatory
parameter limits*
BOD5 12 mg/L 50
COD 58 mg/L 100
TSS 2.1 mg/L 70
Color 30 PCU 150
pH 6.6 None 6.5-9.0
Oil and 1.1 mg/L 5
grease
* For Class C inland Water, NPI
 SEATWORK
1) Use the following data to calculate for the Total Solids, Total Dissolved
Solids, Total Suspended Solids and Volatile Suspended solids

• Tare weight of evaporating dish = 24.3520 g

• Weight of evaporating dish plus residue
after evaporation at 105 C = 24.3970 g
• Weight of evaporating dish plus residue
after ignition at 550C = 24.3850 g
• Tare weight of Whatman glass fiber filter = 1.5103 g
• Weight of Whatman glass fiber filter and
residue after drying at 105 C = 1.5439 g
• Weight of Whatman glass fiber filter and residue
after ignition at 550C = 1.5199 g
 Other pertinent Tests

• Metals
• Dissolved oxygen
• Chlorine
– Total
– Residual
• Bacteriological tests
– Bacteria
– Viruses
– Protozoa
– Helminths
– * Indicator Organisms
Metals

- Important both for design and management of

wastewater treatment
- Metals content are also critical parameters in
characterizing drinking water
- Standard Methods of Analysis :
- Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
- Flame photometry
- Inductively coupled plasma emission
spectrometry
 Metals
Typical Metals Classified as Priority Pollutants and Potential Health Effects
METAL HEALTH EFFECTS
Arsenic (As) Skin damage or problems with
circulatory systems, may increase risk of
cancer
Cadmium (Cd) Kidney Damage
Chromium (Cr) Allergic Dermatitis
Copper (Cu) Gastro intestinal effects
Lead (Pb) Kidney problems, birth defects and high
blood pressure, cancer
Mercury Kidney, central nervous system effects
Selenium Hair or fingernail loss, nervous system
Fluoride Skeletal and Dental fluorosis
Arsenic effect
Skeletal and Dental Fluorosis
Skeletal and Dental Fluorosis
 Dissolved Oxygen
• Tested as a process monitoring parameter in
biological wastewater treatment plants
• Function of Temperature and Pressure
• Tested in open waters to check the health of the
aquatic environment
• Should be done immediately or in-situ
Biological and Microbial Characteristics
• - all natural bodies of water support biological
ecosystems that include specific organisms which
are harmful or pathogenic to humans and animals
• A variety of pathogens may exist in wastewater
• Surface water must be disinfected and filtered
during treatment process
• Four Primary Pathogenic Groups of Concern
– Bacteria
– Helminths
– Protozoa
– Viruses
Bacteria
• Pathogenic group with the highest population of
micro organisms encountered in water and waste
water treatment.
• Microscopic single celled organisms that use soluble
food
Bacteria

Bacterium Associated Disease

Salmonella typhosa Typhoid fever
Shigella flexneri Bacillary Dysentry
Shigella dysentri Bacillary Dysentry
Vibrio comma Cholera
Vibrio cholorae Cholera
Leptospira Leptospirosis
icterohaemorrhage
Enteropathogenic Gastroenteritis
Erscheria coli
Viruses

• Generallysmaller is size and simpler in structure and

primarily consist of protyein and nucleic acid
• Can only replicate inside a host
• There are over one hundred enteric viruses that are
excreted by humans that ca infect
Viruses
Waterborne diseases from human enteric viruses

Group / Subgroup Virus Associated Disease

Enterovirus Poliovirus Muscular paralysis, asceptic
meningitis
Enterovirus Echovirus Muscular paralysis, respiratory
disease, myocarditis, hepatitis
Enterovirus A Acute lymphatic pharyngitis,
muscular paralysis, hand and foot
mouth disease, infantile diarrhea,
hepatitis
Enterovirus B Muscular paralysis, insulin
dependent diabetes, congenital
heart anomalies, respiratory disease
etc
Adenovirus Respiratory disease, acute
conjunctivitis, acute appendicitis,
Hepatitis Infectitious hepatitis, Serum hepatitis,
Down’s syndrome
Protozoa
• Single cell eukaryotic micro organisms that do not
have cell wall
• Food may consist of alga cells, bacteria and fungi
• May be found in aqueous environment or soil
Protozoa of interest

1. Amoeba
All cause
2. Cryptosporidium
gastrointestinal
3. Giardia
illness
Helminths
• Parasitic worms are classified as cestodes,
nematodes, or tremadoes
• Worldwide, helminthes are one of the major
causative agents of human disease
• Estimated of 4.5 billion illnesses per year (Asano et.a l
2007)
Helminths of Interest

1. Ascaris lumriocoides ( round worm)

2. Schistomsoma mansoni – causes debilitating liver
infection
Indicator Organisms
• In most instances only a few pathogenic organisms
are found in water, waste water making it difficult to
isolate and identify them
• Identify pathogenic organisms requires large amount
of sample i.e, about 1,000 gallon sample and the
processes are quite expensive
• Most water quality professionals are not trained to
work with pathogenic organisms
• In lieu of pathogens , a surrogate or indicator
organism is used
Indicator Organisms
• Presence of Indicator organisms indicates the
possibility of presence of harmful or pathogenic
organisms
• Characteristic of good indicator organisms
• 1) must be present when pathogen is present
and absent when it is not
• 2) The number of indicator organisms should
exceed the number of pathogenic organisms
• 3) Should have survival characteristics similar to
pathogens
• 4) Must be easily and inexpensively quantified
• 5) Should be in the intestinal tract of warm
blooded animals
• 6) Testing procedure should not pose a threat to
laboratory workers
Indicator Organisms
Total coliform test

1. Presence of the coliform group indicates

fecal contamination.
2. Even in acutely ill individuals, the number of
coliform organisms excreted exceed other
organisms by several orders of magnitude.
(detectability)
3. Coliform group survives well in water but
does not multiply. – implies contamination vs. growth
4. Coliform group is easy to culture.
Fecal coliform test

- Conducted to confirm
fecal contamination.
- Involves the isolation of E.
Coli species from the
water sample.

Other Possible Indicator Organisms : Bacteroides, Klebseilla, Escherichia

coli, Fecal streptococci etc
 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator
1) Direct Microscopic Count

2) Pour and Spread Plate

3) Multiple Tube fermentation

Techniques

4)Membrane Filter Technique

 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

1) Direct Microscopic Count

 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

2) Pour and Spread Plate

 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

2) Pour and Spread Plate

Expressed as CFU/mL ( Colony forming units)

 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

Multiple Tube fermentation

- Popular method of detecting coliform bacteria
using lauryl tryptose broth
- Normally 15 test tubes are used with volumes
10 ml, 1.0 ml and 0.1 ml
- Coliform bacteria ferments lactose under
anaerobic condition producing CO2
- Most Probable number can be obtained either
by Standard methods table or using Thomas
equation
 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

Multiple Tube fermentation

 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

Multiple Tube fermentation

Statistical estimate of the number of coliforms that are
potentially present

Thomas Equation
𝑀𝑃𝑁 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑇𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑥100
= 0.5
100 𝑚𝐿 𝑚𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑔. 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝑚𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 55.5
 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator
Example : Use of Thomas Equation

𝑀𝑃𝑁 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑇𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑥100

= 0.5
100 𝑚𝐿 𝑚𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑔. 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝑚𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠 55.5

Calculate the MPN in a set of 15 tubes with the

following number of positive tubes: 3,1 and 1 for
sample sizes of 10.0 ml, 1.0 ml, 0.1 ml respectively.
 Enumeration and Indication of
Bacterial Indicator

2) Membrane Filter Technique

Chlorine (for drinking and treated
wastewater effluent water)
• Total chlorine measures the total amount of
chlorine, both reacted and available for
reaction
• Residual or available chlorine measures the
amount of chlorine available for disinfection
(should be 0.5 to 0.2ppm)*

• Should be measured immediately upon

sampling

*Reference law: Philippine National Standard for Drinking Water