water treatment

List the primary pollutants found in waste water and identify their sources. Outline the primary, secondary and tertiary stages of waste water treatment, and state the substance that is removed during each stage. Evaluate the process to obtain fresh water from sea water using multi- stage distillation and reverse osmosis.

Waste water treatment: why?

water is very good solvent so any water sample will always contain solutes e.g. nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, carcinogenics, ... pathogens and other micro-organisms suspended particles unpleasant odours and smells reduce BOD

Water pollutants (1)

pollutants pesticides dioxins agriculture formed as part of large-scale processes like combustion of waste (waste incineration), manufacture of herbicides and paper pulp bleaching with chlorine; extremely toxic. sources

electrical insulators, molecules added to plastics PCBs: polychlorinated overexposure result in a disease called chloracne biphenyls; which is a skin condition which produces cysts containing a straw coloured liquid; other symptoms are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and weakness most PCBs have low toxicity for humans

Water pollutants (2)

pollutants organic matter nitrates sources Sewage, agricultural run off e.g. cleaning out of stables, cow sheds, food industry Over-use of fertilizers results in leaching of nitrates into rivers/run-off of fertilizers, animal and human waste. Use of phosphate-containing detergents

phosphates

Water pollutants (3) heavy metals

pollutants mercury sources mercury cell e.g. used in the electrolysis of brine - greatest dischargers; batteries; mercury salts used as fungicides to reduce formation of moulds on seeds (seed dressing) lead paints lead based solder in water pipes and fittings; car exhausts (leaded petrol); car batteries by-product of the extraction of zinc and lead; cadmium is always found near zinc used in pigments in ceramics; zinc-plating always contains some cadmium; rechargeable batteries

lead

cadmium

Primary treatment: physical

methods:

filtration flocculation sedimentation

insoluble solids and liquids most suspended particles some oxygen-demanding wastes (organic matter)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment#Filter_beds_.28oxidising_beds.29

removes:

Secondary treatment: activated sludge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_sludge

Secondary treatment:trickler filter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickling_filter

Secondary treatment

removes 90% organic waste reducing BOD methods:

activated sludge trickle bed filter

Secondary treatment

Activated sludge: oxidation of organic waste by aerobic bacteria encouraged by aeration Trickling filter beds: rotating pipes sprinkle waste water over stones which have bacteria and algae growing on them which consume the waste and some nitrates.

Tertiary treatment

methods:

activated carbon-bed: organic waste is oxidized into CO2 and H2O by the carbon activated by heat, also removes dioxins and PCBs denitrifying bacteria: nitrates into N2 chemical precipitation: heavy metal ions are precipitated out by adding anions which form insoluble salts with them (see next slide); also removes phosphates reverse osmosis and ion exchange: nitrates.

Tertiary treatment: precipitation

ions like cadmium, lead, mercury and phosphate ions can be precipitated by adding ions which form insoluble compounds with the heavy metal or phosphate ions to precipitate phosphates, aluminium or calcium ions are added which form insoluble phosphates; these phosphates then precipitate out 3Ca2+ (aq) + 2PO43- (aq) Ca3(PO4)2 (s) 2Al3+ (aq) + PO43- (aq) AlPO4 (s) to precipitate heavy metal ions, hydrogen sulphide gas is added; the heavy metal ions form their sulphide salts which have very low solubilities: Pb2+ (aq) + H2S (g) PbS (s) + 2 H+ (aq)

Ion exchange
X = resin beads

Equation of exchange: X Cl- + NO3- X NO3

+ Cl-