Introduction

Environmental biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for solving

environmental problems, both in the environment per se (e.g. bioremediation) or in man
made ecosystems (e.g. sewage treatment plants).
Water, one of the abundant compounds found in nature, is covering
approximately threefourths of the surface of the earth. Over 97% of the total quantity of
water is in the oceans and other saline bodies of water and is not readily available for
our use. Over 2% is tied up in polar ice caps and glaciers and in atmosphere and as soil
moisture, which is inaccessible. An essential element for livelihood, domestic, industrial
and agricultural activities, we have to depend upon only 0.62% of water found in fresh
water lakes, rivers and groundwater supplies, irregularly and non-uniformly distributed
over the vast area of the globe.

Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater is used water. It includes substances such as human waste, food
scraps, oils, soaps and chemicals. In homes, this includes water from sinks, showers,
bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. Businesses and industries also
contribute their share of used water that must be cleaned.

Where does wastewater come from?

Residences (kitchen, bathroom)

Commercial institution

Industrial institution (usually require specialized treatment process)

Wastewater treatment can be classified as:

i. Preliminary treatment
ii. Primary treatment
iii. Secondary treatment, and
iv. Tertiary treatment

Preliminary Treatment
In preliminary treatment, physical operations, such as Screening and Grit removal
are used to remove the floating and heavy settleable solids found in wastewater.
Screens protect sewers and pumps from clogging because of floating solids as plant
leaves, rags, pieces of wood, small dead animals etc. Grit chamber removes heavy and
bigger (inorganic) settleable solids.

Remove large objects

Ex: sticks, rags, toilet paper, tampons

Primary Treatment
Primary treatment is the second step in treatment and separates suspended solids
and greases from wastewater. Waste-water is held in a quiet tank for several hours
allowing the particles to settle to the bottom and the greases to float to the top. The
solids drawn off the bottom and skimmed off the top receive further treatment as sludge.
The clarified wastewater flows on to the next stage of wastewater treatment. Clarifiers
and septic tanks are usually used to provide primary treatment.

Primary treatment involves the removal of finer inorganic and coarse organic
settleable solids to reduce load on the secondary treatment.

Remove grease, oil

Fecal solid settle, floating material rise to the surface

Secondary Treatment
Secondary treatment is a biological treatment process to remove dissolved
organic matter from wastewater. Sewage microorganisms are cultivated and added to
the wastewater. The microorganisms absorb organic matter from sewage as their food
supply.

remove most of the organic matter

Degrade biological content (dissolved organic matter) of the sewage

 Ex: human waste, food waste, soaps, detergent

Added bacteria and protozoa into sewage

Empty aeration tank showing air diffusers

Operating aeration tank

Tertiary Treatment
Final treatment focuses on removal of disease-causing organisms from
wastewater. Treated wastewater can be disinfected by adding chlorine or by using
ultraviolet light. High levels of chlorine may be harmful to aquatic life in receiving
streams. Treatment systems often add a chlorine-neutralizing chemical to the treated
wastewater before stream discharge.
Advanced treatment is necessary in some treatment systems to remove nutrients
from wastewater. Chemicals are sometimes added during the treatment process to help
settle out or strip out phosphorus or nitrogen. Some examples of nutrient removal
systems include coagulant addition for phosphorus removal and air stripping for
ammonia removal.

also called advanced waste treatment, provides contaminant removal beyond

that achieved in primary (physical settling) or secondary (biological) treatment. It
may include additional removal of organic matter or solids, reductions in the
concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus or treatment of toxic
substances.

remove disease-causing organisms from wastewater

different disinfection process include:

Chlorination
UV light radiation

Initial Effluent
Final Effluent

Landfill Technologies

Landfill

A landfill site (also known as tip, dump, rubbish dump or dumping ground) is
a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial.

Items such as appliances, newspapers, books, magazines, plastic containers,

packaging, food scraps, yard trimmings, and other wastes from residential,
commercial, and some industrial sources can be disposed of in municipal solid
waste landfills.

Leachate

- The greatest threat to ground water posed by modern landfills. Leachate consists
of water and watersoluble compounds in the refuse that accumulate as water moves
through the landfill.

Liners

materials that are used to line the bottom area and below-grade sides of a landfill
(clay or geo-membrane materials) designed to prevent migration of leachate and
gases.

- Liners may be described as single (also referred to as simple), composite, or

double liners.

Single-Liner Systems
-

Single liners consist of a clay liner, a geosynthetic clay liner, or a

geomembrane (specialized plastic sheeting).

Single liners are sometimes used in landfills designed to hold

construction and demolition debris (C&DD). Construction and
demolition debris results from building and demolition activities and
includes concrete, asphalt, shingles, wood, bricks, and glass .

Composite-Liner Systems
-

A composite liner consists of a geomembrane in combination with a

clay liner . Composite liners are required in municipal solid waste
(MSW) landfills.

Composite-liner systems are more effective at limiting leachate

migration into the subsoil than either a clay liner or a single
geomembrane layer. Composite liners are required in municipal solid
waste (MSW) landfills.

Double-Liner Systems
- A double liner consists of either two single liners, two composite liners,
or a single and a composite liner.

- Double-liner systems are used in some municipal solid waste landfills

and in all hazardous waste landfills.

Liner Components

Clay
- To protect the ground water from landfill contaminants, clay liners are
constructed as a simple liner that is two- to five-feet thick. In composite
and double liners, the compacted clay layers are usually between twoand five-feet thick, depending on the characteristics of the underlying
geology and the type of liner to be installed. The effectiveness of clay
liners can be reduced by fractures induced by freeze-thaw cycles,
drying out, and the presence of some chemicals.

Geomembranes
- Geomembranes are also called flexible membrane liners (FML).
These liners are constructed from various plastic materials, including

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Thepreferred material for use in MSW and secure landfills is HDPE.
This material is strong, resistant to most chemicals, and is considered
to be impermeable to water. Therefore, HDPE minimizes the transfer of
leachate from the landfill to the environment.

Geotextiles
- In landfill liners, geotextiles are used to prevent the movement of small
soil and refuse particles into the leachate collection layers and to
protect geomembranes from punctures. These materials allow the
movement of water but trap particles to reduce clogging in the leachate
collection system.

Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL)

- Geosynthetic clay liners are becoming more common in landfill liner
designs. These liners consist of a thin clay layer (four to six millimeters)
between two layers of a geotextile.

Geonet
- A geonet is a plastic net-like drainage blanket which may be used in
landfill liners in place of sand or gravel for the leachate collection layer.
Sand and gravel are usually used due to cost considerations, and
because geonets are more susceptible to clogging by small particles. This
clogging would impair the performance of the leachate collection system.
Geonets do, however, convey liquid more rapidly than sand and gravel.

REFERENCES

http://www2.hcmuaf.edu.vn/data/quoctuan/Environmental%20Biotechnology.pdf
http://www.sawater.com.au/sawater/education/ourwastewatersystems/wastewater+treat
ment+process.htm
http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV149/methods.htm
http://ohioline.osu.edu/landfill/types/and/liner/systems

Rizal Technological University

College of Arts and Science

Department of Biology
A.Y. 2014 2015

Enviromental Biotechnology
Wastewater Treatment
Landfill Techology

Rochelle Ann M. Sevilla

CAS02401 P

Prof. Angelita P. Medalla