WASTEWATER

CHARACTERIZATION
Agroindustrial Technology Department
University of Brawijaya

Outline
1. Introduction
2. Water Quality Criteria
3. Wastewater Characterization
a. Source and flowrate
b. Type of pollutant
c. Measurement techniques
d. Parameters
4. Wastewater Sampling
1. Introduction
Why Treating Wastewater?

Domestic and industrial processes use and
pollute water => wastewater
Minimise effects of discharge on
environment
Remove pollutants for recycling and/or
reuse of water
Objectives of Wastewater Treatment
Ensure good water quality in natural environment
Remove pollutants most efficiently and
economically
Avoid or minimise other environmental impacts like:
solid disposal
gas emission
odour creation
noise generation
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Water Quality Criteria
3. Wastewater Characterization
a. Source and flowrate
b. Type of pollutant
c. Measurement techniques
d. Parameters
4. Wastewater Sampling
2. Water Quality Criteria

1. Traditional Approach
Focus on point sources
Mainly concerned with local effect
Definition of maximum limits (BOD, SS, T,
pH, nutrients etc.)
Usually concentration limits and total flow
rate limit
2. Water Quality Criteria

Modern Approach
Classification of receiving water based on use:
A - drinking, environmentally sensitive
B - bathing, fish-life
C - navigation, fish-life, agricultural use
Definition of stream quality standards for
specific use
How to relate this to discharges?

Estimating effects of non-point (diffuse) sources
eg. storm water, irrigation run-off
Set minimization targets and strategies
(catchment management plans etc.)
Focus on load (freight), not just concentrations
Concerned with overall effects on receiving water
body (creek, river, bay)
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Water Quality Criteria
3. Wastewater Characterization
a. Source and flowrate
b. Type of pollutant
c. Measurement techniques
d. Parameters
4. Wastewater Sampling
3. Wastewater Characterisation

What is (in) Wastewater?
1. Identify wastewater sources and flows
2. Specify likely key pollutants
3. Select suitable sampling strategies
4. Measure pollutant concentrations
5. Calculate pollutant loads
6. Identify main components to be removed
a. Sources and Flow Rates

Essential step to identify problem area
How to define sources & flows?
1. Use systems/mass balance approach
2. Utilize wastewater audits
3. Anticipate future requirements
4. Reduce > Reuse > Recycle
5. Simple is better than complex
Source reduction can drastically improve
wastewater situation (tannery)
b. Types of Pollutants

Physical: solids, temperature, color, turbidity,
salinity, odor

Chemical:
Organic : carbohydrates, fats, proteins, toxins
Inorganic: alkalinity, N, P, S, pH, metals, salts
Gaseous : H2S, CH4, O2

Biological: plants (algae, grass, etc.),
microorganisms (bacteria, viruses)
c. Measurement Techniques

Physical, chemical or biological methods
Summary of basic methods in APHA (US):
Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater
Many instrument methods in use (FIA)
Good laboratory practice essential eg.
dilution, weighing, filtration, standards
Flow
Injection
Analyser
(FIA)
colorimeter
Fluorimeter
biosensors

d. Measurement Parameters
1. Solids
2. Odor
3. Temperature
4. Salinity
5. Color and turbidity
6. Carbohydrate
7. Protein
8. Flow terms
1. Solids

Solids separated by filtration into non/soluble and
by high temperature oxidation into non/volatile
Solids often form large percentage of total organic
material
Solids degradation often slow due to mass transfer
limitations
Sources: food processing, abattoirs rural industries
(piggeries etc.), domestic
Solids Fractions
Settleable solids Sample Total solids
TS
Total suspended
solids (TSS)
Total dissolved
solids (TDS)
Total volatile
solids (TVS)
Ash
Volatile SS
VSS
Non-volatile SS
2 1
2
2
3
3 4
4 Settling (cylinder/cone)

Evaporation (105C)

Filtration (glass fibre filter)

High temp. oxidation (550C)
1
2
3
4
Practical Exercises: Solids
In solids analysis, the following measurements
were obtained:
Sample size: 50 mL
After filtration/evaporation:
12 mg filter cake, 2.5mg solids in filtrate
After high temperature oxidation:
2.0 mg filter cake

What is TSS, VSS and TS in the sample? mg/ml
Answer
TSS : 12 mg / 50 ml = 0.24 mg/ml

VSS : (12 2.0 mg) / 50 ml = 0.2 mg/l

TS : (12+2.5) mg /50 ml = 0.29 mg/l

2. Odour

Often very small amounts cause nuisance
(eg. H2S approx. 10 ppb)
Physical/chemical measurement difficult
Olfactometry uses human odor panels
Olfactometer determines dilution necessary
until no odor detected
3. Temperature

Industrial WW often elevated temperature
Affects treatment performance of many
treatment systems
Gas eg. O2 solubility is lower at higher
temperature
Effluent temperature usually specified in
license limits
4. Salinity

Affects ecosystems in receiving waters
Reduces O
2
solubility
Restricts reuse applications (eg. irrigation)
Critical for downstream water utilization
5. Colour & Turbidity

Colour of WW & biological treatment:
light brown-gray => fresh, aerob
dark brown-black => old, anaerob
Soluble dyes (stains) also cause coloring, very
difficult to remove (e.g textile)
Turbidity measures light-transmission
Caused by colloidal or suspended matter
Can be correlated with suspended solids
6. Organic Matter

Largest component group in most ww: 75 % of TSS,
40 % of TDS (domestic ww)
Composition highly industry dependent
Types:
carbohydrates
proteins
oil & grease
organic toxins (priority pollutants, eg.pesticides)
others eg. surfactants, dyes etc.
Mostly biodegradable, some very slowly
a. Carbohydrates

Composition: C, H, O
Soluble: sugars, alcohols, acids (VFA) rapidly
biodegradable
Insoluble: starches, cellulose, fibres (relatively)
slowly biodegradable
Sources: sugar mills, breweries, dairy factories,
canneries etc.
b. Proteins

Composition: C, H, O, N (16%), S, P
Solubility varies with protein type and ww
conditions (eg pH, salt conc. )
Quite rapidly biodegradable to amino acids
except when insoluble
Anaerobic degradation creates H
2
S and other
sulphur components => odor
Sources: dairy factories, meat processing
(abattoirs), food processing
c. Oil & Grease

Composition: C, H, O
Hydrophobic substances: grease, fat, oil
Mostly insoluble, floating, easily adsorbed on
surfaces
Slowly biodegradable, even when hydrolysed
to glycerol and fatty acids
Sources: meat processing, food production,
chemical factories
d. Toxics (Priority Pollutants)

Organic toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides,
solvents, etc.
Inorganic substances eg. Heavy metals (Cd,
Cr, Pb, Hg, Ag etc.)
Normally very low effluent limits
Sources: chemical factories, metal
manufacturing, tanneries, agriculture, etc.
Practical Exercises:
Composition

What main components would you expect in a
cheese factory wastewater?
What are the main concerns when considering
treatment of an electroplating wastewater stream?
Why should storage of raw wastewater be avoided
if at all possible?
What precautions should be taken if storage is
necessary?
Measurement of Organic Content

Mostly overall content measured:
Total organic carbon: TOC
Biochemical oxygen demand: BOD
Chemical oxygen demand: COD
BOD & COD most commonly used for design
and effluent specifications
a. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Measures oxygen required for biological
oxidation of organics
BOD: oxygen uptake by microorganism
during aerobic growth in ww sample
Standard BOD: 5 day incubation @ 20C
Samples require a series of dilutions to
achieve suitable oxygen consumption
BOD Example

This result was obtained for a BOD
test on a wastewater sample. The
sample was diluted by a factor of
20 prior to the test.

What is the BOD5 ?
BOD5 = (8 - 1.7)*20
= 126 mg/L


Practical Concerns with BOD Test

Only partial degradation of organics
Cannot be used for mass balancing
Very high (>1000mg/L) and very low
(<10mg/L) values often unreliable
Industrial wastewater can contain inhibitors,
leading to low BOD results
b. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Also measures oxygen required, but for chemical
oxidation of organics
COD: chemical oxidants used for oxidation of
organics to CO
2
, H
2
O & NH
3
Standard COD: K
2
Cr
2
O
7
2-
/H
2
SO
4
@ 145C
During oxidation dichromate is used up and
remaining oxidant is measured
spectrophotometrically to determine oxidant used
8. Wastewater Flow Terms

Equivalent person (EP): average wastewater
amount produced per person
Typically 1 EP equivalent to 200-250 l/d per person
for domestic households
Average Dry Weather Flow (ADWF): average flow
over 7 days without rain
Peak Dry Weather Flow (PDWF): maximal flow
during day (1.5-3 x ADWF)
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Water Quality Criteria
3. Wastewater Characterization
a. Source and flowrate
b. Type of pollutant
c. Measurement techniques
d. Parameters
4. Wastewater Sampling
4. Sampling & Measurements

On-line measurements where possible
Appropriate sampling crucial to achieve
relevant results
Sampling schedule based on expected (or
measured) variance over time
Automatic sampling often essential
Composite Sampling

Reduces analysis costs and levels out
concentration fluctuations
Composite samples should be taken
proportional to flow
Individual samples can be collected and
composited later
Ensure appropriate sample conservation/
storage from sampling time until analysis