Ray Siemon Z.

Matalog March 29, 2024

CPET-3202 21-30405

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITY # 3

1. Explain and discuss further the eight stages of waste water treatment
process. Complete the table below.

Stages of Waste Water Definition Explanation and

Treatment Discussion
1. Bar Screening Removal of large items - There are steel
from the influent to bars slanted in a row
prevent damage to the with 2.5 cm apart
facility’s pumps, valves that capture large
and other equipment debris such as
plastics, rags,
sticks, and other
bulky materials.

2. Screening Removal of grit by - Remove sand and

flowing the influent grit without removing
over/through a grit organic material.
chamber - Sand is about 2.5
times denser than
most organic solids
and thus settles much
faster.

3. Primary Clarifier Initial separation of - separation of solid

solid organic matter from organic matter from
wastewater wastewater is
typically achieved
through primary
clarification
processes. This step
removes a significant
portion of the
suspended and
 settleable solids,
reducing the organic
load and potential
for solids carryover
into subsequent
treatment processes.

4. Aeration Air is pumped into the It increases the

aeration tank/basin to conversion of
encourage conversion of ammonia to
NH3 to NO3 and provide nitrate by
oxygen for bacteria to nitrification, which
continue to propagate and is carried out by
grow. specialist aerobic
bacteria. This
conversion is
critical for removing
nitrogen from
wastewater, reducing
eutrophication in
receiving waters, and
complying with
environmental
requirements.

5. Secondary Treated wastewater is - Further

Clarifier pumped into a secondary purification occurs
clarifier to allow any when any remaining
remaining organic organic sediment is
sediment to settle out of allowed to settle out
treated water flow of the water flow.
Allowing finer
particles and
suspended materials
to settle at the
bottom of the
clarifier. The
clarified water rises
to the surface and
separates from the
settled solids, which
form a sludge layer
at the bottom of the
clarifier. By
successfully
separating
particulates from
treated water, the
secondary clarifier
contributes to
ensuring that the
effluent fulfills
high quality
standards before
discharge.

6. Chlorination Chlorine is added to kill - A essential

(Disinfection) any remaining bacteria in disinfection
the contact chamber procedure that
eliminates any
 leftover germs and
pathogens. This
disinfection
procedure ensures
that treated
wastewater fulfills
regulatory standards
for safe discharge or
reuse.

- However, careful
control of the
chlorine dosage is
required to achieve
effective
disinfection while
reducing the
development of
disinfection
byproducts, which can
pose health and
environmental
hazards.

7. Water Analysis and Testing for proper pH - Testing for optimum

Testing level, ammonia, pH, ammonia,
nitrates, phosphates, nitrates,
dissolved oxygen and phosphates,
residual chlorine levels dissolved oxygen, and
to conform to the plant’s residual chlorine
DENR permit
levels is critical
for ensuring
compliance with the
plant's DENR permit
requirements.
Monitoring these
indicators gives
crucial information
on the efficiency of
wastewater treatment
procedures and the
quality of effluent
discharged into the
environment.
Residual chlorine
levels show the
efficiency of
disinfection and must
be monitored to avoid
negative effects on
aquatic life.

8. Effluent Disposal After meeting all permit - After completing

specifications, clean all permit
water is reintroduced requirements,
into the environment restoring clean water
into the environment
marks the end of
 successful
wastewater treatment
efforts. This clean
water, which has
undergone extensive
treatment and meets
high regulatory
standards, can be
safely discharged
back into natural
water bodies. By
reintroducing clean
water, wastewater
treatment plants help
to preserve the
biological balance of
aquatic ecosystems,
sustain
biodiversity, and
protect water
quality.

2. Suppose you are an environmental technologist hired to evaluate an

industrial wastewater treatment plant for a specific wastewater with which
you have no experience. What would you choose as the five most important
wastewater parameters to be tested? Why would you want to know these values?

- The pH level has a considerable impact on the efficiency and

performance of many treatment methods and chemicals. Understanding the
pH of the wastewater allows me to make necessary adjustments to enhance
treatment efficiency while avoiding corrosion or scaling concerns in
the treatment infrastructure.
- Calculating the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD) gives information on the organic content and
biodegradability of wastewater. By analyzing BOD and COD levels, I may
determine the necessary treatment intensity, choose appropriate
treatment techniques, and assure regulatory compliance.
- Heavy metals, hazardous chemicals, and other contaminants found in
industrial effluent pose environmental risks and regulatory
challenges. Understanding the presence and amounts of these
contaminants allows for proper treatment selection, optimization, and
regulatory compliance, protecting both the environment and public
health.
- Nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients that, in excess, can
produce eutrophication in receiving water bodies, resulting in algal
blooms and ecological imbalances. Testing for these parameters allows
for the evaluation of nutrient removal requirements, the selection of
appropriate treatment options, and the reduction of environmental
consequences associated with eutrophication.
- Disinfection is part of the treatment process, and monitoring residual
chlorine levels is critical to ensuring effective pathogen removal
while avoiding excess chlorine release, which can affect aquatic
habitats. Residual chlorine testing enables the optimization of
disinfection operations, adjustment of chlorine dosage, and adherence
to regulatory limitations to protect human health and aquatic
ecosystems.

3. What are the sources of sludge?

 - Sludge produced during primary treatment operations, such as
sedimentation or initial clarifying, where settleable materials are
removed from wastewater. Sludge generated during secondary treatment
methods such as activated sludge, biological filters, or oxidation
ponds, where biological processes are used to decompose organic
materials and remove nutrients. Sludge produced during tertiary
treatment techniques such as filtration, chemical precipitation, or
advanced oxidation to remove extra pollutants or improve water quality.
4. Discuss the sludge treatment (stabilization, thickening, dewatering and
ultimate disposal)

- Stabilization: Sludge is treated to minimize organic content and

microorganisms, making it safer to handle. To stabilize it, many
methods are used, including oxygen (aerobic digestion), no oxygen
(anaerobic digestion), and lime.
- Thickening: Sludge is concentrated by eliminating water, which reduces
its volume. This makes it easy to manage. Gravity, centrifugal force,
and dissolved air flotation are among the techniques used.
- Dewatering: removes more water from the thickened sludge, making it
even thicker. This is accomplished utilizing devices such as belt
presses and centrifuges.
- Ultimate Disposal: After treatment, sludge must be safely disposed of.
Options include spreading it on fields (land application), burying it
in landfills, burning it (incineration), and finding other use, such
as in construction materials.

5. Identification:
a. It is a treatment which removes most of the biochemical demand of
oxygen through biological processes.
- biological oxygen demand (BOD) removal

b. In a modern treatment plant, it removes materials that might damage

the equipment or hinder further treatment.
- Bar Screening

c. It is a circular grinder designed to grind the solids coming through

the screen into pieces about 0.3cm or less in diameter.
- A Comminutor

d. Its objective is to remove sand and grit without removing organic

material.
- Grit Removal

e. It is used by most wastewater treatment plant to settle out as much

solid materials as possible.
- Sedimentation

f. What is the other term for settling tanks.

- Clarifiers

g. The settling tanks that follows screening and grit removal is called.
- Primary Sedimentation Tanks
h. It consists of a filter bed of fist-sized rocks or corrugated plastic
blocks over which the waste is trickled.
- A Trickling Filter

i. It includes a tank full of waste liquid from the primary clarifier and
a mass of microorganisms.
- Aeration Tanks

j. The microorganisms remaining in the settling tank have no food

available, become hungry, and are thus activated, hence term as?
- Activated Sludge

k. It is designed to be aerobic, hence light penetration for algal growth

is important and a large pond surface area is needed.
- Oxidation Pond

l. It is commonly used for disinfection and a chlorine contact chamber is

constructed as the last unit operation in the treatment plant.
- Chlorine Disinfection

m. Its objective is to reduce the problems associated with two detrimental

characteristics – sludge odor and putrescence and the presence of
pathogenic organisms.
- Sludge Stabilization

n. It is a process in which the solids concentration is increased and the

total sludge volume is correspondingly decreased, but the sludge still
behaves like a liquid instead of a solid.
- Sludge Dewatering

o. It has been used for a great many years and are still most cost
effective means of dewatering when land is available.
- Sludge Drying Beds
6. Tabulate the sources of water pollution and how do we prevent this sources
from further polluting the water.

Source of Water Pollution Preventive Measures

Industrial Discharges - Implementing strict regulations
and wastewater treatment standards
for industries, encouraging
pollution control methods, and
undertaking regular monitoring and
enforcement to assure compliance.

Agricultural Runoff - Implementing best management

practices (BMPs) such as
conservation tillage, cover crops,
buffer strips, and nutrient
management plans can help prevent
soil erosion, fertilizer and
pesticide runoff, and agricultural
pollution.

Urban Runoff - Green infrastructure techniques

such as permeable pavement, green
roofs, rain gardens, and stormwater
detention basins can help reduce
runoff volume and enhance water
quality by filtering contaminants
before they enter bodies of water.

Municipal Wastewater Discharges - Upgrading wastewater treatment

plants to advanced treatment
technologies, enforcing strict
discharge regulations, encouraging
water conservation and recycling,
and investing in infrastructural
improvements to minimize sewage
overflows and leaks.

7. Discuss the elements of aquatic ecology.

- Abiotic factors are non-living components of aquatic ecosystems that

include temperature, sunlight availability, water depth, currents,
salinity, pH, and nutrient levels.
- Biotic components are living species found in aquatic habitats, such
as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. These species interact with
one another and with their surroundings, creating intricate food webs,
trophic interactions, and symbiotic connections.
- Aquatic ecosystems consist of a variety of habitats, including rivers,
lakes, ponds, wetlands, estuaries, and seas. Each habitat type supports
distinct biological communities that have evolved to cope with various
environmental conditions, allowing water organisms to fill a range of
niches.
- Trophic interactions refer to the movement of energy and nutrients
across food chains and food webs in aquatic habitats. Producers, such
as phytoplankton and aquatic plants, transform solar energy into
organic matter by photosynthesis, which is then devoured by herbivores,
predators, and decomposers, resulting in intricate feeding
relationships.
 - Adaptations Aquatic species use a variety of physiological, behavioral,
and morphological adaptations to survive and prosper in their aquatic
environments. These adaptations allow species to deal with temperature
changes, water flow rates, salinity gradients, and predation pressures.
- Biogeochemical cycling is the exchange of elements including carbon,
nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur among living organisms, water,
sediments, and the atmosphere in aquatic ecosystems. These cycling
processes are critical to nutrient availability, ecosystem production,
and the regulation of Earth's biogeochemical cycles.
- Disturbances and Succession: Floods, droughts, pollution, habitat
degradation, and climate change are all natural and manmade
disturbances to aquatic ecosystems. These shocks can destabilize
ecosystem structure and function, causing changes in species
composition, community dynamics, and ecosystem resilience. Succession
is the long-term process of community development and change in
response to disturbance events, which results in the formation of
increasingly complex and stable biological groups.

8. What are the differences between aerobic and anaerobic decomposition?

- Aerobic decomposition occurs when bacteria and fungus break down

organic matter into carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy. It
exists in well-aerated habitats such as soils and surface waters.
- Anaerobic decomposition happens in the absence of oxygen, with bacteria
and archaea converting organic matter into methane, carbon dioxide,
and organic acids, resulting in less energy. It occurs in oxygen-
depleted settings, such as waterlogged soils and marshes.

9. Discuss and explain the effects of pollution on streams, lakes and oceans.
Provide action plan on how to mitigate or eliminate pollution on streams,
lakes and oceans.

Streams:
 Effects:
Stream pollution, such as runoff from urban areas or agricultural
fields contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers, and sand, can
impair water quality, harm aquatic creatures, and disrupt
ecosystems. Excess fertilizers can cause algal blooms and oxygen
depletion, killing fish and reducing biodiversity.
 Action Plan:
o Implement best management practices (BMPs) on agricultural
lands to prevent fertilizer and pesticide runoff into
streams.
o Conduct regular monitoring of water quality and biological
indicators to determine pollution levels and inform
management decisions.
o Educate the public on the importance of stream ecosystem
protection and ethical land use.
Lakes:

 Effects:
Lake pollution, such as nutrient runoff, industrial discharge,
and untreated sewage, can cause eutrophication, algae blooms,
and poor water quality. Eutrophication causes oxygen
deprivation, fish kills, and biodiversity loss. Contaminants
including heavy metals and harmful compounds can build in lake
sediments and bioaccumulate in aquatic animals, endangering
human health and the environment.
 Action Plan:
 o Implement watershed management measures to limit nutrient
runoff and control sources of pollution that reach lakes.
o Create and enforce restrictions that minimize industrial
discharges and sewage effluent into lakes.
o Engage stakeholders, such as local communities, companies,
and government agencies, in joint efforts to maintain and
restore lake ecosystems.

Oceans:
 Effects:
Ocean pollution, such as plastic trash, oil spills, chemical
pollutants, and fertilizer runoff, can have far-reaching and
long-term consequences for marine ecosystems. Plastic pollution
endangers marine life through ingestion, entanglement, and
habitat damage. Oil spills can contaminate ocean surfaces,
endangering marine mammals, birds, and fish and disrupting food
networks. Chemical contaminants can accumulate in marine
creatures, causing reproductive issues, genetic changes, and
ecosystem disruptions.
 Action Plan:
o Implement worldwide plastic pollution reduction agreements
and legislation, as well as enforcement measures to
minimize marine littering and dumping.
o Improve oil spill response and cleanup capabilities
through better technology, training, and collaboration
among government agencies and stakeholders.
o Implement stringent laws to prevent industrial discharges,
sewage effluent, and agricultural runoff into coastal
waters and marine habitats.
o Encourage sustainable fisheries management practices to
reduce overfishing, bycatch, and habitat devastation.
o Support marine conservation activities, such as
establishing marine protected zones and restoring
deteriorated coastal habitats.