The hazards of industrial wastewater and the importance of water treatment chemicals in wastewater treatment

What contaminants can be found in wastewater?

Wastewater is a by-product of technical plant production, and the contaminants in wastewater vary depending on the level of exposure.Some common contaminants include:

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) :

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen required by aerobic organisms to break down organic matter into small molecules. High BOD levels indicate an increased concentration of biodegradable material in the wastewater and may introduce pollutants such as manure and fertilizer runoff. Both domestic and industrial sources of wastewater can be improved by organic waste. When these indicators rise, oxygen needed by other aquatic organisms is lost, algae proliferate, fish die, and harmful changes occur in aquatic ecosystems.

Nitrates and phosphates:

If large amounts of nitrate or phosphate are not removed from wastewater, these nutrients will be discharged into the local environment, which will increase BOD and lead to the proliferation of weeds, algae, and phytoplankton. This can further lead to nutrient enrichment, killing organisms and potentially leading to hypoxia or environmental mortality. They can enter wastewater streams in a variety of ways, including human and food waste, detergents, and pesticides.

 Pathogens :

Pathogens are bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other microorganisms in wastewater that can cause health problems such as acute illness, serious digestive problems, or death. These harmful pathogens contained in domestic or industrial wastewater can transmit, without treatment, diseases such as cholera, dysentery, salmonellosis, hepatitis A, botulism, and Giardia. Humans may ingest pathogens by drinking or eating contaminated beverages or food.

Heavy metals :
Metals can be a serious hazard to the environment and human health due to the high concentrations present in most wastewater from various industrial manufacturing processes and domestic plumbing. They are particularly damaging because they do not break down and tend to accumulate, leading to a toxic environment.
The following is a list of common metals found in wastewater and their potential effects on humans and the environment.
Cadmium: Commonly used in the manufacture of batteries, pigments, and electroplating. In the human body, this metal can cause lung damage, gastrointestinal problems, kidney damage, and death, and it has also been linked to lung cancer.
Chromium: This metal is commonly used in the manufacture of various metal alloys (such as stainless steel) and can cause skin irritation, breathing difficulties, ulcers and anemia, and damage to the male reproductive system. It is labeled as a carcinogen.

Copper: Used in electrical wires, pipes, sheet metal, etc., copper is also used in the treatment of plant diseases, water treatment, or as a preservative. High doses of copper can cause irritation of the nose, mouth, and eyes, as well as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea.

Lead:

Often found in pipes and batteries, lead and other contaminants can cause very serious health problems.

Manganese:

Used in steel production to improve hardness and strength, as well as in battery coatings and cosmetics. High exposure to manganese can damage the nervous system, alleviating behavioral changes and inattention.

Mercury: 

It is commonly released uncontrolled into the atmosphere from mines, coal-fired power plants, burning municipal and medical waste, cement production, and factories that use mercury. Mercury can damage the brain and nervous system and is extremely toxic to the human body.

Total Suspended Solids:

Total suspended solids (TSS), organic and inorganic solids suspended in water, in wastewater, like many of the other pollutants listed, can harm aquatic life. Problems can occur if wastewater is reused in a process, so the level of harm from TSS will be determined by whether you need to discharge wastewater into the environment or recycle it.TSS can reduce oxygen levels in the aquatic environment and kill insects. It can also contaminate pipes and machinery.

 

Total Dissolved Solids:

Total dissolved solids (TDS) are the anions, cations, metals, minerals, and salts in wastewater. They can cause aquatic life, irrigation, and crop problems and can also leach into groundwater. TDS can be produced from wastewater from almost any industry.

Synthetic chemicals :

When chemicals such as pesticides are used in manufacturing processes, they can be spread to humans and the environment through wastewater, damaging the environment and human health. Chemicals commonly found in wastewater include pesticides such as hexestrol, dioxins, PCBs, and dichloro diphenyl. These endocrine disruptors can block hormones in the body and affect the control function of these hormones.

In wastewater treatment, wastewater is treated and reused according to the plant's water treatment model.

Wastewater treatment recycling is particularly useful in areas where water resources are scarce. In addition to saving water, the judicious use of wastewater treatment chemicals can help you save on connection costs that can be very high due to shortages. In this case, wastewater treatment options will also depend on the presence of pollutants in the production process and the operation of municipal facilities. It is important to understand and ensure that it is an effective method of water recycling treatment.

Learn about four effective wastewater treatment processes.

Fortunately, we can purify and utilize wastewater by employing wastewater treatment technology that filters and treats wastewater by removing contaminants (such as sewage and chemicals).

Four common wastewater treatment methods include physical water treatment, biological water treatment, chemical treatment, and sludge treatment.

Physical water treatment.
In this stage, wastewater is cleaned by physical methods. Processes such as screening, sedimentation, and skimming are used to remove solids. No chemicals are involved in this process.

One of the main techniques of physical wastewater treatment includes sedimentation, which is the process of suspending insoluble/heavy particles from the wastewater. Once the insoluble material settles to the bottom, you can separate the pure water.

Another effective physical water treatment technique is aeration. This process involves circulating air through the water to provide it with oxygen. Filtration is the third method used to filter out all contaminants. You can filter the wastewater with special filters that separate contaminants and insoluble particles. In this way, some of the oils and fats on the surface of the wastewater can be easily removed.

Biological water treatment.
This method uses a variety of biological processes to break down organic matter in wastewater, such as soap, human excrement, grease, and food. In the biological treatment process, microorganisms metabolize organic matter in the wastewater. It can be divided into three categories:
Aerobic process: Bacteria break down organic matter and convert it into carbon dioxide that can be used by plants. Oxygen is used in this process.
Anaerobic process: Here, fermentation is used to ferment waste at a specific temperature. The anaerobic process does not use oxygen.
Composting: An aerobic process in which wastewater is mixed with sawdust or other carbon sources for treatment.

Secondary treatment removes most of the solids from the wastewater, but some dissolved nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, may be retained.

Use of water treatment chemicals.

As the name implies, this treatment involves the use of chemicals in the water. Chlorine is an oxidizing chemical typically used to kill bacteria, which breaks down water by adding contaminants to it. Another oxidizing agent used to purify wastewater is ozone. Neutralization is a technique in which an acid or base is added to bring the water to its natural pH7. The chemicals prevent bacteria from multiplying in the water, thus making the water pure.

Sludge treatment.
This is a solid-liquid separation process in which the least amount of water is required in the solid phase, and the least amount of solids remain in the liquid phase after separation.
An example of this includes the dewatering of sludge from industrial wastewater or sewage treatment plants. The residual water in the dewatered solids determines the cost of treatment, while the quality of the concentrate determines the pollution load returned to the treatment facility.
One of the most important points in the wastewater treatment process is how to prevent the wastewater from corroding the concrete and causing environmental contamination. The best way is to use multi-point anchored PE plates to prevent corrosion and seepage. In the wastewater treatment process, by installing multi-point anchored polyethylene sheets on various pools and concrete structures, we can prevent the contamination of concrete by wastewater.

Multi-point anchored PE sheets are an important means of preventing corrosion. The multi-point anchored PE sheet is tightly bonded to the concrete structure by slurry film lining technology, and the pull-out force of 42 tons per square meter also ensures that the multi-point anchored PE sheet is not easily dislodged. In addition, the excellent anti-corrosion property of PE material and superb welding process ensures that the multi-point anchored PE sheet fixed on the concrete structure will be a very tight whole without gaps, that is to say, no penetration, which ultimately ensures that the concrete will not be corroded.

Please visit our website Vcycletech-2021 for our water treatment chemicals including organic flocculants and flocculants as well as ion exchange resins and formulated products.

Contact Us If you have questions