1

IV. Wastewater Treatment

Topic I V. 4. Pollution Loads on the Receiving
Water. Wastewater Quality Parameters - BOD,
COD, TOC, PE. Oxygen Balance in the Receiving
Water
Pollution Load

Definition: Mass of a definite pollutant, released in definite period (day,
month, year) into the receiving water with the wastewater emissions.

Kinds of pollution loads:
Suspended solids - SS
Organic substances containing carbon - BOD, COD, TOC
Substances containing nitrogen - N
tot
, N
org
, NH
4
-N, NO
3
-N
Substances, containing phosphorus - P
tot
, P
org
, PO
4
-P, P
2
O
5
-P
2
Wastewater Quality Parameters - BOD, COD, PE
Biochemical Oxygen Demand - BOD, g/m
3


Definition: Mass of dissolved oxygen utilised in definite time by the aerobic
micro-organisms during processes of dissimilation of organic substances,
containing carbon.

Particularities:
BOD is a complex measure, indicating indirectly availability of
biodegradable pollutants mass concentration
BOD reflects only biodegradable part of carbonaceous organic
substances
BOD reflects only such a part of carbonaceous organic substances,
which is utilised in processes of dissimilation (breathing)
Biodegradable organic substances utilised by the aerobic micro-
organisms in the processes of assimilation (cell mass building) is not
reflected by BOD
3
Biochemical Oxygen Demand - BOD
Fazes of aerobic oxidation of organic substances
4
Biochemical Oxygen Demand - BOD
BOD Kinetics
; ;
t k
a t
L L
.
1
10 .

=
) 10 1 .(
.
1
t k
a t a t t
L L L L Y

= = A
) (
1 1 1 2 1
2 1
). ( ) (
T T
T k T k

= u
t t
L k dt dL . /
'
1
= 3 , 2 /
'
1 1
k k =
048 , 1
1
= u
5
Chemical Oxygen Demand - COD, g/m
3

Definition: Mass of the oxidiser utilised in oxidation of
(almost) all the organic substances in water.

Particularities:
COD is associated with potassium dichromate -
K
2
Cr
2
O
7
as an oxidiser in presence of silver sulphate -
AgSO
4
as a catalyzer

Similar parameter, called oxidability is associated with
potassium permanganate - KMnO
4
as an oxidiser
6
Total Organic Carbon - TOC, g/m
3

Definition: Carbon mass of the organic substances in water/wastewater

Analytical determination:
Procedure as for COD determination


Procedure for C-fixing in BaCO
3



Particularities:
TOC is a general measure for organic pollutants mass in
water/wastewater (similar to COD function, but more precise)
TOC reflects both biodegradable and biorefractory organic
substances in water/wastewater
....
2 7 2 2
+ + + CO HCl O Cr K C
org
+ +
3 2 2
) ( BaCO OH Ba CO
7
People Equivalent - PE
Definition: Number of population releasing the same pollution load as
the one released with definite industrial wastewater emission



Q
ind
- industrial water quantity, m
3
/d
Q
dom
- domestic water quantity, m
3
/d
C
ind
- pollutant concentration in industrial wastewater, g/m
3

a - pollutant daily mass per citizen (pollutant norm), g/d.ca

Particularities:
PE differ according to the kind and norm of the pollutant
PE is a general and common measure of industrial pollution load
dom
ind ind
Q a
C Q
PE
.
.
=
8
People Equivalent - PE
Pollutants norms

Suspended solids
Non-settled wastewater- a = 65 g/d.ca
Settled wastewater - a = 40 g/d.ca

BOD
5

Non-settled wastewater- a = 60 g/d.ca
Settled wastewater - a = 40 g/d.ca

Nitrogen - a = 8 - 12 g/d.ca

Phosphorus (as PO
4
+
) - a = 4,4 g/d.ca
9
Oxygen Balance in the Receiving Water
Rate of dissolved oxygen consumption for biodegradable organic
pollutants dissimilation in the receiving water (BOD kinetics)


Rate of dissolved oxygen recovering in the receiving water
(reaeration)




Net rate of dissolved oxygen concentration change in the receiving
water
t t
L k dt dL . /
'
1
=
t k
t
L L
.
0
1
10 .

=
t m t s m t
D k O O k dt dO . ) .( /
' '
= =
t k
t
D D
.
0
2
10 .

= 3 , 2 /
'
2 m
k k =
) (
2 1 2 2 2
2 2
). ( ) (
T T
T k T k

= u 018 , 1
2
= u
t t m t t net
L k D k dt dL dt dO dt dO . . / /
'
1
'
= + =
t m t t
D k L k dt dD . . /
' '
1
=
t s net
D O O = const O
s
=
10
Oxygen Balance in the Receiving Water
Streeter - Phelps Equation
(integral of the last differential equation)
t k t k t k
t
D
k k
L k
D
.
0
. .
1 2
0 1
2 2 1
10 . ) 10 10 .(
.

+

=
0 0
, 0 D L t =
max , t crit
D t

=
0 1
) 1 2 0
1
2
1 2
.
.(
1 . lg .
1
L k
k k D
k
k
k k
t
crit
11
Oxygen Balance in the Receiving Water
Graphical Interpretation of the Streeter-Phelps Equation