Environmental Equations

I. Wastewater Treatment

a. Volatile Suspended Solids

CERM 25-9
E-1

MSS  MSI
VSS 
VF

VSS = volatile suspended solids [mg/L]

MSS = mass of suspended solids [mg]
MSI = mass of ignited solids [mg]
VF = volume filtered [L]

b. Hydraulic Detention Time

CERM 30-5
E-2
V
t  ta  tE
Q

t = theoretical detention time [d]

ta = actual detention time [d]
V = volume [ft3]
Q = flow rate [ft3/d]
E = fractional efficiency [--]

Activated Sludge/Recirculation Flow Rate

CE-E-502
CE-E-503
CE-E-504
E-5

 Q  Qr  X   Qr  Qw  X u   Q  Qw  X e
QX  Qw X x VX
Qr  c 
Xu  X Qw X u

Q = flow rate [gal/day]

Qr = recirculated solids flow rate [gal/day]
Qw = wasted solids flow rate [gal/day]
X = reactor MLSS concentration [mg/L]
Xe = clarifier effluent solids concentr. [mg/L]
Xu = recirculated solids concentration [mg/L]
V = reactor volume [gal]
θc = mean cell residence time [day]

c. Thickening Dewatering Solids

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 Environmental Equations
CE-E-501
E-6

  f1V1  f 2 V2
m

m
 = solids dry mass flow rate [lbm/day]
f = solids fraction [--]
 = wet sludge density [lbm/ft3]
V = volumetric flow rate [ft3/day]

II. Aquatic Biology and Microbiology

d. BOD Equations
CE-E-506
CE-E-510
CE-M-101
E-9

DOt  0  DOt  5
BOD5 
Vsample
Vtotal

BODt
BODu  kT  k 20 T  20
1  10 kT t

DOt  0  DOt  5  x DOt* 0  DOt* 5 

BODseed 
Vsample
Vtotal

BOD5 = 5-day BOD [mg/L]

BODu = ultimate BOD [mg/L]
BODt = BOD at time t [mg/L]
BODseed = seeded BOD [mg/L]
DOt=0 = dissolved oxygen at t=0 [mg/L]
DOt=5 = dissolved oxygen at t=5 [mg/L]
DO*t=0 = dissolved oxygen of seed at t=0 [mg/L]
DO*t=5 = dissolved oxygen of seed at t=5 [mg/L]
Vsample = volume of sample [mL]
Vtotal = total volume [mL] 300 mL typical
kT = rate constant at temperature T [d-1]
k20 = rate constant at 20°C [d-1]
θ = temperature correction coeff. [--] 1.047 typical
T = temperature [°C]
t = time [d]

Hints: DO range from 2.0 mg/L to 7.0 mg/L

Calculate BODu before applying temperature correction

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 Environmental Equations
e. Dissolved Oxygen Mixing Problem
CE-E-506
E-10

Qd  Qu  Qw d  m
m u m
w

Qd = downstream flow rate [ft3/sec] [gal/day]

Qu = upstream flow rate [ft3/sec] [gal/day]
Qw = wastewater flow rate [ft3/sec] [gal/day]
md = downstrem mass flow rate [lbm/day]
mu = upstream mass flow rate [lbm/day]
mw = wastewater mass flow rate [lbm/day]

f. EPA Exposure Factors

E-11

C  DI  A ED  T 
CDI 
 BW  LT 
Lifetime Risk = (CDI)(PF)

CDI = chronic daily intake [mg/kg-day]

C = concentration [mg/L]
DI = daily intake [L/day] 2 L/day typ.
A = absorbed assume 1.0
ED = exposed duration assume 30 yr
T = time exposed assume 1.0
BW = body weight assume 70 kg
LT = lifetime assume 70 yr
PF = potency factor [mg/kg-day]

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 Environmental Equations
II. Solid and Hazardous Waste

a. Air Stripping
E-15

K H MWw
K H' 
 w RT

V  Va S
Qa  Q a   '
 Vw  Vw K H

K’H = Henry’s constant [--]

KH = Henry’s constant [atm]
MWw = molecular weight [g/mol]
ρw = density of water [1000 g/L]
R = universal gas constant [0.082 atm-L/mol-K]
T = temperature [K]
Qa = air flow rate [ft3/min]
Q = water flow rate [gal/min]
Va
= air-to-water ratio [--]
Vw
S = stripping factor [--]

b. Air Pollution (POHC)

E-16

Win  Wout
DRE  100% 
Win

DRE = destruction and removal efficiency [%]

Win = POHC mass flow rate in [kg/h]
Wout = POHC mass flow rate out [kg/h]

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 Environmental Equations
III. Groundwater and Well Fields

a. Overall Hydraulic Conductivity

E-19

d1  d 2  ...d n
K overall 
d1 d 2 d
  ... n
K1 K 2 Kn

Koverall = overall hydraulic conductivity [ft/day]

di = thickness of layer [ft]
Ki = hydraulic conductivity of layer [ft/day]

b. Hydraulic Conductivity of NAPL

E-17

( Ki )( g )(  f ) K w f
K NAPL  Ki 
f w g

KNAPL = hydraulic conductivity of NAPL [ft/day]

Ki = intrinsic permeability [ft2]
Kw = hydraulic conductivity for water [ft/day]
g = gravitational constant [32.2 ft/sec2]
ρf = NAPL density [lbm/ft2]
μf = NAPL viscosity [lbm/ft-sec]

c. Solute Velocity
E-20

vs 
 K  i  h
 ne   rf  i
L

vs = solute velocity [ft/day]

K = hydraulic conductivity [ft/day]
i = groundwater gradient [ft/ft]
ne = effective porosity [--]
rf = retardation factor [--]
∆h = change in elevation [ft]
L = distance between elevations [ft]

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 Environmental Equations
d. Radius of Influence
E-18

K  ho2  h 2 
Q
r
ln o
r

Q = pumping rate [ft3/min]

K = hydraulic conductivity [ft/day]
ho = aquifer thickness (base to w.t.) [ft]
h = ho – observation well drawdown [ft]
ro = radius of influence [ft]
r = dist. from pump well to obs. well [ft]

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