ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT

IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY
SEM 1 (2010/2011)

‘Physical Treatment Processes

of Industrial Waste’
(Part A)

By; Mrs Hafiza Binti Shukor

At the end of these topic, students should
be able to acquire these ability:

INTERPRET, COMPARE,
JUSTIFY and CHOOSE the physical
treatment methods for waste treatment
in industries.

CALCULATE and DESIGN the

basic structure of waste treatment unit
operations
By; Mrs Hafiza Binti Shukor
 INTRODUCTION OF WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANT DESIGN
Wastewater

Bar Rack

Grit Chamber PRETREATMENT PROCESS

Equalization Basin

Primary Settling PRIMARY PROCESS

Biological Treatment
SECONDARY PROCESS
Secondary Settling

Advance
TERTIARY PROCESS
Wastewater Treatment
ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY
SEM 1 (2010/2011)
 PRETREATMENT PROCESS
( Several devices/structures are placed UPSTREAM to the PRIMARY TREATMENT)

Objectives:
Protection to the WWTP equipment
Seldom used in industrial WWTP

Pretreatment Devices/structures:
1) BAR RACKS
• remove large object that would damage @ foul pumps, valves and other
mechanical equipment
• Eg. Rags, logs, paper, plastics, rocks and leaves.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
Fig. 1 : Bar Screen / Bar Rack

Consists of a series of parallel bars or a

perforated screen placed in a channel.
The flow passes through the screen and
the large solids are trapped on the bars for
removal.
The bar screen may be coarse (2-4 inch
openings) or fine (0.75-2.0 inch openings).
The bar screen may be manually cleaned
or mechanically cleaned (performed
frequently enough to prevent solids buildup
and reduce flow into the plant)

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
2) GRIT CHAMBER
• Remove grit-inert, dense materials that tends to settle in corners, bends,
reducing flow capacity and ultimately clogging pipes and channels
• Eg. Sand, broken glass, silt, etc

To remove the heavy inorganic solids, which

could cause excessive mechanical wear.
Grit includes sand, gravel, clay, egg shells, coffee
grounds, metal filings, seeds and other similar
materials.
There are several devices or processes used for
grit removal. All of the processes are based on the
fact that grit is heavier than the organic solids that
should be kept in suspension for subsequent
treatment.
Grit removal processes use gravity/velocity,
aeration or centrifugal force to separate the solids
from the wastewater.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
Pretreatment Devices/structures (continue……):
3) COMMINUTION
• Devices that can CHOP UP wastewater solids by revolving cutting bars
• It placed downstream of the GRIT CHAMBER to protect the cutting
bars from abrasion
• Cutting from the communitor are returned directly to the wastewater

Its reduce solids to a size that can enter the plant

without causing mechanical problems or clogging.
In this device all of the wastewater flow passes
through the grinder assembly.
The grinder consists of a screen or slotted basket, a
rotating or oscillating cutter and a stationary cutter.
Solids pass through the screen and are chopped or
shredded between the two cutters.
The comminutor will not remove solids that are
too large to fit through the slots, and it will not
remove floating objects. The materials must be
removed manually

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
Pretreatment Devices/structures (continue……):

4) FLOW EQUALIZATION
• To minimize fluctuations in WW characteristics in order to provide
optimum conditions for subsequence process
• To provide adequate dampening of organic fluctuations in order to
prevent shock loading to biological system
• Provide adequate pH control
• Provide cont. feed to biological system
• Provide capacity for controlled discharge
• To prevent high conc. of toxic materials from entering the biological
treatment plants.
Q Q

t t
Bar Screen / Effluent
Grit Removal Equalization Primary for further
communitor Basin Treatment treatment

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
 Flow diagram of a typical
preliminary treatment / pretreatment system

Effluent
Sump & Bar Screen Grit Skimming for
Pump House (screenings) Chamber Tank discharge
(grits) (oil & grease) or further
treatment

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
PRIMARY PROCESS
( primary & secondary process handle MOST of the NON-TOXIC wastewater)

Objectives:
Prepare WW for biological treatment (stabilize organic)
Remove + 60% SS and 35% BOD5 in sewage

Devices/structures:
• Sedimentation , accelerated gravity separation, floatation, filtration, gas stripping,
chemical precipitation, adsorption etc.
• Remove by settling @ floating
• Oil, gas and suspended solid are removed by floatation, sedimentation and
filtration.
• Also neutralization process and equalization process (no fluctuation/ variation in
flow and concentration of WW)

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
 SECONDRY PROCESS
Objectives:
Speed up natural process of breaking down biodegradable organics
Remove up to 85 % SS and BOD5

Devices/structures:
• Activated sludge, extended aeration, rotating biological contacting (RBC), trickling
filter, aerated lagoons, sequencing batch reactor etc
• Biological degradation of soluble organics.
• Mostly aerobically in an open aerated vessels @ lagoon
• Speed up natural processes of breaking down biodegradable organics
• Cannot remove N, P, heavy metals, pathogens, bacteria and viruses.
• After treatment, microorganism and other carried over solids are allowed to settle.
• A fraction of sludge is recycle
• Excess sludge along with sediment solids has to be disposed off.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
TERTIARY / ADVANCED PROCESS
Objectives:
Nutrients removal, chlorination and dechlorination
Process added after biological treatment in order to remove specific group/ types
of residual
Can remove + 95% BOD5, P, SS, bacteria and N

Devices/structures:
• Filtration –removes SS
• Granular Activated Carbon – removes organics
• Chemical oxidation – removes oxidizable organics

• Expensive to process LARGE VOLUME of WW

• Such a polishing process

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (201/2011)
 SELECTION OF TREATMENT
PROCESS
Depends on the degree of treatment required to bring the quality of raw
wastewater to a permissible level of treated wastewater (eg. Effluent from the
treatment plant)

This ensures that the final effluent is either safe for disposal or acceptable for
specific reuse or recycling.

Other significant factor that will influence the selection of a treatment system
are as follows:
Availability of funds and land at the treatment site
The topography of land at the treatment site
Non-availability of suitable mechanical equipment and skilled personnel for
running and maintaining the plant.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
SELECTION OF TRATMENT
PROCESS cont…

The points to keep in mind while selecting the treatment process

are as follows:
1. Reduction of inorganic material component of wastewater is
much easier and cheaper than removal of organics contents of
wastewater
2. Removal of suspended solids from wastewater requires lesser
time and efforts than of colloidal and dissolved solids
3. In many countries, the Environmental Protection Act requires
at least the secondary treatment system for all publicly owned
treatment works such as municipal wastewater treatment plant,
so that effluent requirements of 30mg/L for BOD and 100mg/L
of SS are achieved.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION
ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Significant factors that are essential for the design of wastewater

treatment processes and plant units include the following:
a) Strength and characteristics of wastewater
b) Flow rates and their fluctuations
c) Mass loading
d) Design Criteria
e) Hydraulic flow diagram

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

A) STRENGTH & CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTEWATER

The strength of wastewater is normally expressed in terms of

pollution load, which is determined from the concentrations of
significant physical, chemical and biological content of
wastewater.

B)FLOW RATE AND THEIR FLUCTUATIONS

Is the quantity or volume of wastewater in terms of rates.

Its is the total quantity of wastewater generated daily and to be
treated every day.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

C) MASS LOADING

Analysis of mass loading:

Involves the determination of the flow rate and mass loading

variations
Involves determining the simple average or flow weighted average,
concentration of specific constituents, mass loading (flow rate
times concentration) or sustained mass loading
In almost all cases, a flow-weighted average should be used because
it is a more accurate method of analysis.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

Simple Average:

X=1/n(∑Xi)
Where,
X=arithmetic average conc of the constituents
n=number of observation
Xi=average concentration of the constituents during the “i” time period (eg. i=5 if 5 sample
for 5 different day)

Flow Weighted Average:

Xw=(∑xiqi)/∑qi
Where,
Xw = flow –weighted average conc on the conctituent
n=number of observation
Xi=average concentration of the constituent during the “i” time period
Qi=average flow rate during “i” time period.
ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY
SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

D) DESIGN CRITERIA

The data determined through the research and laboratory scale

model studies as well as those obtained from the operational
experience of field and pilot scale ww treatment facility. The
values of such guideline parameters are called design criteria
and available in the literature.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

D) DESIGN CRITERIA cont…

The most frequently assumed criteria for designing a conventional

wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) are as follows:
• Detention period or time
• Flow through velocity
• Settling velocity
• Surface loading rate @ over flow rate
• Weir loading rate
• Organic loading (BOD @ COD @ VSS loading)
• Food to Microorganism ratio, F/M
• Mean cell Residence Time
• Hydraulic Loading
• Volumetric Loading
• Basin geometry (L:B:D) length, breadth and depth ratio.
ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY
SEM 1 (2010/2011)
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATION cont…

E) HYDRAULIC FLOW DIAGRAM

Show the detail of wastewater levels as the average and peak flow
are prepared.

As, it shows the reduced levels or elevations of wastewater surface

and the top surfaces of all the units of a treatment plant, level of
other significant features like weirs, tops and bottom of units,
foundation levels of pump etc.

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)
END
FOR PART (A)

ERT 417/4 WASTE TREATMENT IN BIOPROCESS INDUSTRY

SEM 1 (2010/2011)