ES 09

Environmental
Engineering

Todays Discussion focuses on

1. Water Pollution

2. Philippine Water Situation

3. Wastewater Treatment Options

1. Water Pollution

Water Pollution Comes from Point and

Nonpoint Sources

Point sources
Located at specific places
Easy to identify, monitor, and
regulate

Nonpoint sources
Broad, diffuse areas
Difficult to identify and control
Expensive to clean up
4

Common Wastewater Contaminants

Physical - Suspended solids
Chemical

Biodegradable organics
Nutrients
Refractory organics
Heavy metals
Dissolved inorganic solids

Biological - pathogens

Common Chemical pollutant has major

Effects on Human Health
Cyanides

Zinc and its

compounds
Hexavalent
Chromium
Nickel and its
compounds
Copper
Cadmium

Weakness, headaches, confusion, nausea, vomiting, eye/skin

irritation. It attacks the liver, kidneys, skin, cardiovascular system,
central nervous system
severe lung damage and death if breathed in confined areas.
lung allergy , metal fume fever, a flu-like illness lasting about 24
hours with chills, aches, cough and fever.
Carcinogen and teratogen, allergies, damage the heart, liver or
kidneys.
nausea, vomiting, gastric pain, hemorrhagic gastritis, and diarrhea.
dizziness, irritability, gastro-intestinal disturbances, shortness of
breath, fever, profuse sweating, exhaustion and inflammation of the
lungs. Death may result within 7 to 10 days after exposure.

DISEASE TRANSMITTED BY
CONTAMINATED WATER
Disease

Organisms

Symptoms

Typhoid Fever

Bacterium

Cholera

Bacterium

Travelers
diarrhea
Amoebic
dysentery

Amoeba

Vomiting, diarrhea, fever, intestinal

ulcers, reddish spots on skin; may
be fatal
Vomiting,
diarrhea,
water
dehydration; may be fatal
Diarrhea, vomiting
Not common

Infectious
hepatitis

Virus

Polio

Virus

Amoeba

Comments

Diarrhea, chills, fever, abdominal May be gotten by

pain; death may occur
eating
infected
oysters and clams
Headache, fever, loss of appetite, May be gotten by
enlarge liver
eating
infected
oyster and clams
Headache, fever, sore throat,
weakness, paralysis; may be fatal
7

Streams Can Cleanse Themselves If

We Do Not Overload Them
Dilution
Biodegradation of wastes by bacteria takes
time

Oxygen sag curve

8

Point source

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Fig. 20-5, p. 536

Low Water Flow and Too Little Mixing

Makes Lakes Vulnerable to Water
Pollution
Less effective at diluting pollutants than
streams
Stratified layers
Little vertical mixing

Little or no water flow

10

Ground Water Cannot Cleanse Itself

Very Well (1)
Source of drinking water
Common pollutants
Fertilizers and pesticides
Gasoline
Organic solvents

Pollutants dispersed in a widening plume

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Ground Water Cannot Cleanse Itself

Very Well (2)
Slower chemical reactions in groundwater due to
Slow flow: contaminants not diluted
Less dissolved oxygen
Fewer decomposing bacteria

How long will it take to cleans itself of

Slowly degradable wastes
E.g., DDT

Nondegradable wastes
E.g., Pb and As
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Polluted air

Pesticides and
fertilizers
Coal strip mine
runoff

Deicing road
salt

Pumping well
Waste lagoon

Hazardous waste
injection well

Buried gasoline and

solvent tanks
Cesspool, septic
Gasoline station
tank
Water
pumping well
Sewer
Landfill
Leakage
from faulty
casing
Discharge

Accidental spills

Confined aquifer
Groundwater flow

13
Fig. 20-11, p. 542

Leaking
tank

Water
table
Groundwater flow

Gasoline leakage Free gasoline dissolves

in groundwater
plume (liquid
Migrating
(dissolved
phase)
phase)
vapor phase
Water well
Contaminant plume moves
with the groundwater

14
Fig. 20-12, p. 543

SOLUTIONS
Groundwater Pollution
Prevention

Cleanup

Find substitutes for toxic

chemicals

Pump to surface, clean, and

return to aquifer (very
expensive)

Keep toxic chemicals out of

the environment

Install monitoring wells

near landfills and
underground tanks
Require leak detectors on
underground tanks
Ban hazardous waste
disposal in landfills and
injection wells
Store harmful liquids in
aboveground tanks with
leak detection and
collection systems

Inject microorganisms to
clean up contamination
(less expensive but still
costly)

Pump nanoparticles of
inorganic compounds to
remove pollutants (still
being developed)
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Fig. 20-13, p. 545

There Are Many Ways to Purify

Drinking Water
Reservoirs and purification plants
Process sewer water to drinking water
Expose clear plastic containers to sunlight (UV)

Nanofilters
The LifeStraw
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The LifeStraw: Personal Water

Purification Device

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20-4 What Are the Major Water

Pollution Problems Affecting Oceans?
Majority of ocean pollution originates on land
and includes oil and other toxic chemicals and
solid wastes, which threaten aquatic species and
other wildlife and disrupt marine ecosystems.

The key to protecting the oceans is to reduce the

flow of pollutants from land and air and from
streams emptying into these waters.
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Ocean Pollution Is a Growing and

Poorly Understood Problem
Cruise line pollution: what is being dumped?
coastal waters
Raw sewage
Sewage and agricultural runoff: NO3- and PO43 Harmful algal blooms
Oxygen-depleted zones
19

Industry Nitrogen oxides

from autos and
smokestacks, toxic
chemicals, and heavy
metals in effluents flow
into bays and estuaries.

Cities Toxic metals

and oil from streets
and parking lots
pollute waters;
sewage adds
nitrogen and
phosphorus.

Urban sprawl
Bacteria and viruses from
sewers and septic tanks
contaminate shellfish beds
and close beaches; runoff of
fertilizer from lawns adds
nitrogen and phosphorus.

Construction sites
Sediments are washed into
waterways, choking fish and plants,
clouding waters, and blocking
sunlight.
Farms
Runoff of pesticides, manure,
and fertilizers adds toxins and
excess nitrogen and
phosphorus.

Closed
beach

Toxic sediments
Chemicals and toxic metals
contaminate shellfish beds,
kill spawning fish, and
accumulate in the tissues of
bottom feeders.

Closed shellfish
beds
Oxygen-depleted
zone

Oxygen-depleted zone
Sedimentation and algae
overgrowth reduce sunlight, kill
beneficial sea grasses, use up
oxygen, and degrade habitat.

Red tides
Excess nitrogen causes
explosive growth of toxic
microscopic algae, poisoning
fish and marine mammals.

Healthy zone
Clear, oxygen-rich waters
promote growth of plankton
and sea grasses, and support
fish.
20
Fig. 20-15, p. 548

Ocean Oil Pollution Is a Serious

Problem (1)
Crude and refined petroleum
Highly disruptive pollutants

Largest source of ocean oil pollution

Urban and industrial runoff from land

1989: Exxon Valdez, oil tanker

2002: Prestige, oil tanker
21

Ocean Oil Pollution Is a Serious

Problem (2)
Volatile organic hydrocarbons
Kill many aquatic organisms

Tar-like globs on the oceans surface

Coat animals

Heavy oil components sink

Affect the bottom dwellers
22

SOLUTIONS
Coastal Water Pollution
Prevention

Cleanup

Reduce input of toxic

pollutants

Improve oil-spill cleanup

capabilities

Separate sewage and storm

lines

Ban dumping of wastes

and sewage by ships in
coastal waters
Ban ocean dumping of
sludge and hazardous
dredged material
Regulate coastal
development, oil drilling,
and oil shipping
Require double hulls for oil
tankers

Use nanoparticles on
sewage and oil spills to
dissolve the oil or sewage
(still under development)

Require secondary
treatment of coastal
sewage
Use wetlands, solaraquatic, or other methods
to treat sewage
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Fig. 20-17, p. 551

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This Discussion focuses on

1. Water Pollution

2. Philippine Water Situation

3. Wastewater Treatment Options

25

2. Philippine Water Situation

As of 1994, 65% of 74
designated water stations
all over the country are
below quality standards
Out of 421 rivers, 50 have
been declared biologically
dead

26

Over 480,000 hectares of freshwater are

affected by saltwater intrusion

Normal Conditions

Seawater Intrusion

*Rate of decline in Metro Manila water table estimated

27
to be 5-12 meters per year

Coastal and Marine Resources are depleting

Mangroves decreasing at

3,000 ha/year
Only 4.3% of corals remain in
excellent condition
30-50% loss of sea grasses
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Trash Truck Disposing of Garbage

29

Pollution in Metro Manila and other urban and regional

centers is largely caused by the general public.

In fact, domestic
sewage contributes
approximately 52%
of the pollution load,
industry contributes
the remaining 48%.
30

Pressures brought about by population and economic

activities continue to take their toll on the countrys
coastal waters.

Despite

efforts
private

intensified

by

both

sector,

rehabilitation

government
most

of

and

these,

including Manila Bay continue to

deteriorate.

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This Discussion focuses on

1. Water Pollution

2. Philippine Water Situation

3. Wastewater Treatment Options

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Passive environmental strategies

Dilute & disperse

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Reactive environmental strategies (1)

end-of-pipe approaches

40

Reactive environmental strategies (2)

On - site recycling

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Proactive environmental strategies:

Cleaner Production

Prevention of Waste generation:

- Good housekeeping
- Input substitution
- Better process control
- Equipment modification
- Technology change
- On-site recovery/reuse
- Production of a useful by-product
- Product modification

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3. Wastewater Treatment Options

Septic tank system
Wastewater or sewage treatment plants
Primary sewage treatment
solids removal (physical)

Secondary sewage treatment

BOD treatment (biological)

Tertiary or advance sewage treatment

Bleaching, Chlorination, Effluent polishing, Nutrient and
Toxins Removal (chemical, also possibly physical and
biological)
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Solutions: Septic Tank System

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Solutions: Primary and Secondary

Sewage Treatment

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We Can Improve Conventional Sewage

Treatment
Peter Montague: environmental scientist
Remove toxic wastes before water goes to the
municipal sewage treatment plants
Reduce or eliminate use and waste of toxic
chemicals
Use composting toilet systems

Wetland-based sewage treatment systems

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Solutions: Ecological Wastewater

Purification by a Living Machine, RI,
U.S.

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Tertiary (advanced) treatment

Secondary treatment:
removes 85% - 95% of BOD and TSS
removes 20% - 40% P
removes 0% - 50% N
Tertiary treatment:
removes over 99% of pollutants
very high cost
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WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
OPTIONS

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Primary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Tertiary or Advanced Treatment

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Physical Treatment method

Chemical Treatment Method
Biological Treatment Method

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PHYSICAL TREATMENT METHODS

Screening
Sedimentation
Flotation
Induced Air Flotation
Dissolved Air Flotation
Cavitation Air Flotation

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CHEMICAL TREATMENT METHODS

Coagulation and Flocculation

Precipitation
Chemical oxidation
Chemical reduction

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BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT METHODS

Stabilization ponds
Aerated Lagoons
Activated Sludge systems
Trickling Filters
Rotating Biological Contactor
Anaerobic Treatment System

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Fenton Process
Oxidation with Potassium Permanganate
Wet Air Oxidation
Incineration
Ozonation
Ultraviolet Radiation
Hypochlorite Oxidation
Electrochemical Oxidation
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