FE Review for

Environmental
Engineering
Problems, problems, problems
Presented by L.R. Chevalier, Ph.D., P.E.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
 FE Review for Environmental Engineering

BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Given the following data, calculate BOD5

Initial DO of sample: 9.0 mg/L

Volume of sample: 10 ml
Final DO of bottle after 5 days: 1.8
mg/L
Volume of BOD bottle: standard 300 ml
• Review and understand the terms of the governing
equation

DOi − DO f DOi − DO f
BODt = =
 Vs  P
 
 Vb 
Standard Bottle: 300 ml

P = 10/300 =0.033

DOi − DO f 9 .0 − 1 .8
BOD5 = = = 218 mg
P 0.033 L
Typical Curve
BOD (mg/L)

BOD5

Time (days)
Further Discussion on
BOD
• Typical values
• domestic sewage 250 mg/L
• industrial waste as high as 30,000 mg/L
• untreated dairy waste 20,000 mg/L
• After 5 days, BOD curve may turn sharply upward
• demand of oxygen by microorganisms that
decompose nitrogeneous organic compounds
into stable nitrate
•
•
 nitrogenous
( mg / L )
BO D

Lo ca rb o n a ce o
BOD5
us

Tim e
( days )
If the BOD3 of a waste is 75 mg/L
and k=0.345 day-1 , what is the
ultimate BOD?
For some of you there may be a confusion
as to which equation to use:

(
BODt = Lo 1 − e − kt
) Lt = Loe − kt
Recall the equation for BODt

DOi − DO f DOi − DO f
BODt = =
 Vs  P
 
 Vb 

The amount of DO measured will decrease

over time. Does BOD increase or decrease
over time?
 400

Oxygen consumed, BODt Lo

BOD remaining, Lt

300

OXYGEN CONSUMED
2 00

1 00
OXYGEN DEMAND REMAINING

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, days

OXYGEN CONSUMED OXYGEN DEMAND REMAINING

BODt = Lo 1 − e ( − kt
) Lt = Loe − kt
Want to use the equation that shows an increase with time!
75 = Lo (1 − e − ( 0.345)( 3)
)
= 0.645Lo
Lo = 116 mg / L
Given: DOi = 9.0 mg/L
DO = 3.0 mg/L after 5 days
Dilution factor P = 0.030
Reaction rate, k = 0.22 day-1

a) What is the 5-day BOD?

b) What is the ultimate BOD?
c) What is the remaining oxygen demand
after 5 days?
Review and understand the equations needed for the solution

DOi − DO f DOi − DO f
BODt = =
 Vs  P
 
 Vb 
( )
400

BODt = Lo 1 − e − kt
Lo
t
Oxygen consumed, BOD

300
BOD remaining, L t

yt
200

BODt
100
Lt

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, days
a) What is the 5 day BOD?

DOi − DO f 9−3
BOD5 = = = 200 mg
P 0.03 L
b) What is the ultimate BOD?

BOD5 200 mg
Lo = = ( −0.22 )( 5 ) = 300
1− e − kt
1− e L
c) What is the remaining oxygen demand
after 5 days?

300 - 200 = 100 mg/L

Determine the ThOD of a 400 mg/L solution of glucose
C6H12 O6
 • Balance the equation
• Determine the MW of compound and O2
• Calculate ThOD

mg
chemical # moles oxygen
ThOD ( mg L ) = L
× × 32 g mol oxygen
MW chemical # moles chemical
1 . B a la n ce th e fo llo w in g
e q u a tio n

C6 H12O6 + __ O2 → __ CO2 + __ H 2O

C6 H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6 H 2O

 2 . D e te rm in e th e M W o f g lu co se
and O 2

MW C6H12 O6 = 12(6) + 12 + 16(6) = 180 g/mol

MW O2 = 2(16) = 32 g/mol

3. Calculate the ThOD

mg
400 6 moles oxygen
ThOD ( mg L ) = g
L
× × 32 g
mol oxygen
180 mol 1 moles glucose
= 426.7 mg L
Ethanol, or ethyl, alcohol is used in beverages, as a gasoline
additive, and in other industrial applications. Because small
amounts of ethanol and sugar are used in the biological process to
produce methanol, both of these compounds inevitable end up in the
waste water of methanol plants.

Calculate the ThOD demand for waste water containing 30 mg/L ethanol
[CH3CH2OH] and 40 mg/L sucrose [C6H12 O6]
 • Balance two equations
• Determine the MW of both compounds
• Calculate ThOD for both, then add

mg
chemical # moles oxygen
ThOD ( mg
L) =
L
× × 32 g mol oxygen
MW chemical # moles chemical
1. Write the balanced equation for the
oxidation of ethanol (often written EtOH)
to the end products of CO2 and H2O.

CH3CH2OH + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 3H 2O

MW EtOH = 46 g/mol
2. ThOD of EtOH is calculated as follows:

mg
30 3 moles oxygen
ThOD ( L ) = g ×
mg L
× 32 g mol oxygen
46 mol 1 moles EtOH
= 62.6 mg L O2
3. Calculate the ThOD for wastewater
containing 40 mg/L sucrose [C6H12 O6]

C6 H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6 H 2O

MW Sucrose = 180 mg/L

mg
40 6 moles oxygen
ThOD ( L ) =
mg
g
L
× × 32 g
mol oxygen
180 mol 1 moles sucrose
= 42.7 mg L O2
4. To calculate ThOD for waste water
containing both 30 mg/L ethanol [CH3CH2OH]
and 40 mg/L sucrose [C6H12 O6], you can add
the ThOD of the individual compounds.

ThOD tot = 62.6 mg/L O2 + 42.7 mg/L

O2

= 105.3 mg/L O2
... end of example
A chemical plant produces the amino
acid glycine [C2H5O2N]. The wastewater
from the facility contains
approximately 25 mg/L of this acid.
Calculate both the carbonaceous and
nitrogenous ThOD for the wastewater.
1. As in the previous example, write
the balance equation, but include NH3
as an end product.

C2H 5O2N + ? O2 → ? CO2 + ? H 2O + ? NH3

2. Balanced equation:

C2H 5O2N + 112 O2 → 2CO2 + H 2O + NH 3

3. The molecular weight of the acid is 75

g/mol. The amount of oxygen required to
oxidize the carbonaceous portion is:

25mg
1.5moles oxygen
ThOD ( L ) = g ×
mg L
× 32g mol oxygen
75 mol 1moles acid
= 16mg L O2
4. One mole of ammonia is produced for each
mole of acid oxidized. The equation for
oxidation of the ammonia is:

NH3 + 2O2 → NO3− + H2 O + H +

ammonia nitrate
5. To determine the nitrogenous oxygen
demand:

mg
25 2 moles oxygen
NOD ( L ) = g ×
mg L
× 32 g mol oxygen
75 mol 1 moles ammonia
= 21.3 mg L O2
6. The amount of oxygen required to oxidize
the acid is the sum of both the
carbonaceous and the nitrogenous oxygen
demands.

ThOD = 16 + 21.33 = 37.33 mg/L O2

.....end of example