Introduction to

Aqueous Effluent
Engineering

EIM 5193
Environmental Design for
Aqueous Emissions
WHY TREAT WASTEWATER?

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Wastewater Treatment

The ultimate goal of wastewater engineering is

the protection of public health in a manner
commensurate with environmental, economic,
social and political concerns (Tchobanoglous et
al., 2003).
Wastewater treatment today involves so many
different pieces of equipment, so many unit
processes and unit operations, that is became
evident that the chemical engineer had to be called
to play a major role in water pollution abatement
(Ramalho, 1983).
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Wastewater Treatment

• In order to do so, it is necessary to have knowledge of:

 pollutants of concern in wastewater
 impacts of these pollutants when wastewater is
dispersed into the environment
 the transformation and long-term fate of these
pollutants in treatment processes
 treatment methods that can be used to remove or
modify the pollutants found in wastewater
 methods for beneficial use or disposal of solids
generated by the treatment systems

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EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT (ETP)

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Terminology

• Effluent: The liquid discharge from processing steps..

• Constituents: Individual components, elements, or
biological entities such as suspended solids or ammonia
nitrogen.
• Contaminants/ Impurities/ Pollutants: Constituents
added to the water supply through use.
• Characteristics: General classes of wastewater
constituents such as physical, chemical and biological
and biochemical.
• Composition: The makeup of wastewater, including the
physical, chemical and biological constituents.

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Pollution sources

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Pollution sources

Can be generalized in two categories:

• POINT source pollution

• comes from a specific distinguishable point such as industrial
effluent from a pipe.

• NON-POINT source pollution

• comes from an area-wide source such as runoff from rural or
urban areas that carries a whole array of pollutants.

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Sources from Plants
Planned
Process Discharges
• Product washings
• Reaction medium
• Scrubbers
• Strippers
• Pump gland seals
• Vacuum engines

Utilities
Unplanned
Accidental • Water Purification plant
• Rainfall
• Water Leaks
• Stormwater • Steam Raising
• Spillages
• Firefighting
• Oil leaks • Blowdown
• Routine plant washing • Steam traps
• Overflows
• Plant maintenance
• Cooling Systems
• Turnaround activity

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Regulation

• In Malaysia the regulation covers the POINT source pollution as

stated in Environmental Quality Act (1974):
• Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil)
Regulations 1977.
• Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) Raw Natural
Rubber) Regulations 1978.
• Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents)
Regulations 2009.
• Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 1989.

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Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil)
Regulations 1977 (Second Schedule)

Parameter limits for watercourse discharge.

Parameters Limits according to periods of

discharge (1-1-1984 and thereafter)
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) 3- 100
day, 30C; mg/L
Chemical oxygen demand (COD); -
mg/L
Total solids; mg/L -
Suspended solids; mg/L 400
Oil and Grease; mg/L 50
Ammoniacal-Nitrogen; mg/L 150*
Total Nitrogen; mg/L 200*
pH 5.0 – 9.0
Temperature C 45

* Value of filtered sample.

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Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) Raw Natural
Rubber) Regulations 1978. (Third Schedule)

Parameter limits for watercourse discharge of effluent from prescribed premises

occupied or used for the production of concentrated latex and its associated
products, on or after 1-4-1980.

Parameters Limits according to periods of

discharge (1-4-1983 and thereafter)
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) 3- 100 (50*)
day, 30C; mg/L
Chemical oxygen demand (COD); 400
mg/L
Total solids; mg/L -
Suspended solids; mg/L 150 (100*)
Ammoniacal-Nitrogen; mg/L 300
Total Nitrogen; mg/L 300
pH 6.0 – 9.0
* This additional limit is the arithmetic mean value determined on the basis
of a minimum of four samples taken at least once a week for four weeks
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Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents)
Regulations 2009. (Fifth Schedule)
Parameter Units Standard A Standard B
Temperature C 40 40
pH 6.0 to 9.0 5.5 to 9.0
BOD5 mg/l 20 50
COD mg/l 50 100
Suspended Solids mg/l 50 100
Mercury mg/l 0.005 0.05
Cadmium mg/l 0.01 0.02
Chromium (Hexavalent) mg/l 0.05 0.05
Chromium (Trivalent) mg/l 0.20 1.0
Arsenic mg/l 0.05 0.10
Cyanide mg/l 0.05 0.10
Lead mg/l 0.10 0.50
Copper mg/l 0.20 1.0
Manganese mg/l 0.20 1.0
Nickel mg/l 0.20 1.0
Tin mg/l 0.20 1.0
Zinc mg/l 2.0 2.0
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Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents)
Regulations 2009. (Fifth Schedule)

Parameter Units Standard A Standard B

Boron mg/l 1.0 4.0
Iron (Fe) mg/l 1.0 5.0
Silver mg/l 0.1 1.0
Aluminium mg/l 10 15
Selenium mg/l 0.02 0.5
Barium mg/ 1.0 2.0
Fluoride mg/ 2.0 5.0
Formaldehyde mg/ 1.0 2.0
Phenol mg/l 0.001 1.0
Free Chlorine mg/l 1.0 2.0
Sulphide mg/l 0.50 0.50
Oil & Grease mg/l 1.0 10.0
Ammoniacal mg/l 10 20
Nitrogen
Colour ADMI *100 200

* ADMI - American Dye Manufacturers Institute

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Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents)
Regulations 2009. (Seventh Schedule)

Acceptable condition for discharge of industrial effluent containing chemical

oxygen demand (COD) for specific trade or industry sector

Parameter Units Standard A Standard B

(a) Pulp and paper industry
(i) Pulp mill mg/l 80 350
(ii) Paper mill (recycled) mg/l 80 250
(iii) Pulp and paper mill mg/l 80 300
(b) Textile industry mg/l 80 250
(c) Fermentation and distillery mg/ 400 400
industry
(d) Other industries mg/ 80 200

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Standard A Standard A :
upstream of drinking water intake

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 Standard B
Standard B :
downstream of
drinking water
intake

water intake drinking water treatment plant

wastewater
treatment plant

wastewater
discharge

wastewater
discharge

Source : City West Water, Australia L1-16

FATE AND IMPACT OF POLLUTANTS

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Ecology of receiving water

Definition of ecology
Ecology is the study of the complex system of
interrelationships existing among living organisms and
their abiotic (physical and chemical) and biotic (living)
environments and themselves.
The abiotic factors in the environment determine the
ability of organisms to live and reproduce.

HUMAN/ANIMALS

ENVIRONMENT

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Environmental Effect

0.3% is usable by humans

99.7% is not usable by humans
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Environmental Effect

Death

Dirty water

Changes
in natural
landscape
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Human Health Issues

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Landmark episodes

• Love Canal

• Mercury – Minamata Disease

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Minimata disease
• Methyl mercury in wastewater
discharge by Chisso
Corporation Chemical Factory
at Minamata City, Japan
between 1932-1968.
• Started in 1908 as fertiliser
plant, expanded to produce
acetylene, acetaldehyde,
acetic acid, vinyl chloride etc.

Neurological
syndrome caused
by mercury
As of 2001: 1,784 people died out of 2,265 poisoning
victims; 10,000 received compensation
(total USD 3.4 million, biggest award by
Japanese court)
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Source : en.wikipedia.org
Economic / Livelihood

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Corporate Social Responsibility

• A concept whereby organization consider the interests of society by

taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on:
• Customers
1. Plant performance
• Suppliers 2. Watershed
protection
• Employees
3. Community water
• Shareholders initiatives
• Communities 4. Global awareness
program
• Environment
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/environment.html

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Industrial effluent treatment

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 Effluent treatment level

Preliminary Primary Secondary

Removal of Removal of a Removal of
wastewater portion of the biodegradable
constituents such as suspended solids organic matter and
rags, sticks, grits, and organic matter suspended solids.
grease etc. that may from the
cause maintenance or wastewater.
operational problems.

Advanced Tertiary
Removal of dissolved and Removal of residual
suspended materials suspended solids (after
remained after biological secondary treatment).
treatment when required. Disinfection and nutrient
removal is also included in
this definition.

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 Unit operations
Tertiary treatment
• Microscreening
Secondary treatment
• Filtration
• Activated sludge
process • Precipitation and
Primary treatment • Extended aeration coagulation
• Screening process • Adsorption (activated
• Sedimentation • Contact stabilisation carbon)
• Flotation • Aerated lagoon • Ion exchange
• Oil separation • Wastewater • Reverse osmosis
• Equalisation stabilisation ponds
• Electrodialysis
• Neutralisation • Trickling filters
• Precipitation and • Rotating biological • Chlorination and
coagulation contactors ozonation
• Anaerobic treatment • Nutrient removal
processes
• Sonozone process

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THANK YOU

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