WASTE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION

Lamella clarifier - Khaleeda bt Abdul Karim from Khaleeda Karim

Photo-bioreactor - Norezatul Shahirah bt Ahmad Zamanhuri from Khaleeda Karim

Belt Filter - Sharifah Nur Adila bt Syed Nasir from Khaleeda Karim

Ultraviolet Disinfection - Ummi Nuraihan Mohd Rizal from Khaleeda Karim

Air Pollution Experiment

PARTICULATE EMISSION CONTROL BY DOUBLE CYCLONE SYSTEM

1. Introduction

The experiment was done by using two different sizes of cyclone separator. The first experiment was started with cyclone with a diameter 100 mm and followed by cyclone with diameter 75 mm in the second experiment.

2. Objective

• To study the effect of cyclone body diameter upon collection efficiency.

3. Experimental Procedure

Watch our video on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q2ElYqGu5g

4. Accumulated Results

DISCUSSIONS ON AIR POLLUTION

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, or “CO,” is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you.

Carbon monoxide detector

Where is CO found?

CO is found in fumes produced any time you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces. CO can build up indoors and poison people and animals who breathe it.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

What is hydrocarbons?

       The molecules of hydrocarbons are made of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Most kinds of fuel have hydrocarbons in them. Hydrocarbons store energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas all have hydrocarbons in them.

      When we burn fuels with hydrocarbons, we make carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas. The carbon dioxide goes into the air. Sometimes the burning makes carbon monoxide (CO), too. Some hydrocarbons help make air pollution. Some of them are part of chemicals called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are some of the chemicals in smog.

Propane is an example of a hydrocarbon. 

What is Carbon Dioxide?

       Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming Earth. Though living things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past 150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.

Graph 1 : Readings for motorcars at 2 rpm

Graph 2 : Readings for motocars at 3 rpm

       Graph 1 shows the reading of CO, HC and CO2 released for 2 rpm while graph 2 shows the reading for 3 rpm. From both graphs, it shows that the amount of CO produced for 3 type of cars can be concluded as low. This is because the reading of CO does not exceed 1. Next, for the amount of HC released, it shows that Axia has the highest amount of HC produced. The amount of HC produced by Persona is -4 and -6. is the lowest compared to Axia and Satria Neo. The amount of HC for both readings remains constant. Lastly, the amount of CO2 released by Persona for both readings is the highest among others. The difference between the amount of CO2 released by each types of cars are slightly difference.

Graph 3 : Reading for motorcycles at 30 km/h 

Graph 4 : Reading for motorcycles at 70 km/h 

Graph 5 : Reading for motorcycles at 110 km/h 

       Graph 3, 4 and 5 shows the readings for different types motorcycles at different speed which are 30 km/h, 70 km/h and 110 km/h. Based on the three graphs, it shows that the amount of HC produced by the three motorcycles at three different speed is higher compared to other elements which are CO and CO2. The amount of CO2 emitted is low Modenas Kriss 100 is the lowest compared to SYM E Bonus 110  and Honda Wave Dash. Lastly, for the reading of the amount of CO2 released the SYM E Bonus has the highest reading which is 48.2 compared to Honda Wave Dash and Modenas Kriss 100. 

DISCUSSION ON NOISE POLLUTION MONITORING & ASSESSMENT

Most of us are very used to the sounds that we hear in our dailt life. Loud music, television, people talking on their phone, traffic and even animals barking in the middle of the night. All of these have become a part of the urban culture and rarely disturbs us. However, when the sound of the television keeps you from sleeping at night or the traffic starts to give you headache, it stops becoming just noise and start turning into noise pollution. For many of us, the concept of pollution is limited to nature and resources. However, noise that tends to disrupt the natural norms of life is a pollutant.

By definition, noise pollution takes place when there is either excessive amount of noise or an unpleasant sound that causes temporary disruption in the natural balance. This definition is usually applicable to sounds or noises that are unnatural. Our environment is such that is become difficult to escape noise. Even electrical appliances at home have a constant hum or beeping sound. Lack of urban planning increases the exposure to unwanted sounds. This is why understanding in noise pollution is necessary.

There are many causes that can be identified around the area that contribute to noise pollution. 

1. Poor Urban Planning: In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also play a vital role. Congested houses, large families sharing small space, fight over parking leads to noise pollution which may disrupt the environment of society.

2. Transportation: Large number of vehicles on roads. The high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person lose the ability to hear properly.

3. Construction Activities: Under construction activities like reconstruction of roads. These construction activities take place near the morning market.

While this form of pollution may seem harmless, it in fact has far reaching consequences. The adverse effects on the health of the environment are quite severe. Humans are facing a number of problems due to pollution.

All causes stated above do have effects on human and animals around the area.

1. Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause problems within the body. Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting damaged. Man made noises such as vehicles can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our ear drums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body.

2. Health Issues: Excessive noise pollution in can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise levels. These in turn can cause more severe and chronic health issues later in life.

3. Trouble Communicating: High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two people to communicate freely. This may lead to misunderstanding and you may get difficult understanding the other person.

As for now, there are less existing solutions to reduce sound pollution. On a personal level, everybody can help reducing the noise in their homes by lowering the volume of the radio, music system and the television. Listening to music without headphones is also a good step forward. Removal of public loudspeakers is another way in which the pollution can be countered.

Better urban planning can help in creating ‘No-Noise’ zones, where honking are not tolerated. It is only when our understanding noise pollution is complete, can we take steps to eradicate it completely.

DISCUSSION ON WATER POLLUTION MONITORING & ASSESSMENT

pH

pH indicates the sample's acidity but is actually a measurement of the potential activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in the sample. pH measurements run on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7.0 considered neutral. Solutions with a pH below 7.0 are considered acids. Solutions with a pH above 7.0, up to 14.0 are considered bases. All organisms are subject to the amount of acidity of stream water and function best within a given range.

The pH of a body of water is affected by several factors. 

1.    Bedrock and soil composition through which the water moves. Some rock types such as limestone can, to an extent, neutralize the acid while others, such as granite, have virtually no effect on pH.

2.    Amount of plant growth and organic material within a body of water. When this material decomposes carbon dioxide is released. The carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acid. Although this is a weak acid, large amounts of it will lower the pH.

3.       Dumping of chemicals into the water by individuals, industries, and communities. Remember - something as "harmless" as shampoo rinse water is actually a chemical brew and can affect the pH along with other chemical parameters of water. Many industrial processes require water of exact pH readings and thus add chemicals to change the pH to meet their needs. After use, this altered pH water is discharged as an effluent, either directly into a body of water or through the local sewage treatment plant.

4.       Amount of acid precipitation that falls in the watershed. Acid rain is caused by nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the air combining with water vapor. These pollutants are primarily from automobile and coal-fired power plant emissions. Acid rain is responsible for many of our first order streams becoming acidic.

Changes in pH do have affects on aquatic life as the river flows was their habitat.

Most organisms have adapted to life in water of a specific pH and may die if it changes even slightly. This is especially true of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish eggs.

The pH is a critical factor determining the health of a waterway. The factors that control it are obviously complicated. As with many environmental concerns, we need to be aware of the implications of any impacts we have upon the environment.

Conductivity

Conductivity is a measure of water’s capability to pass electrical flow. This ability is directly related to the concentration of ions in the water. These conductive ions come from dissolved salts and inorganic materials such as alkalis, chlorides, sulfides and carbonate compound. Compounds that dissolve into ions are also known as electrolytes. The more ions that are present, the higher the conductivity of water. Likewise, the fewer ions that are in the water, the less conductive it is. Distilled or deionized water can act as an insulator due to its very low conductivity value. Sea water, on the other hand, has a very high conductivity.

Ions conduct electricity due to their positive and negative charges. When electrolytes dissolve in water, they split into positively charged (cation) and negatively charged (anion) particles. As the dissolved substances split in water, the concentrations of each positive and negative charge remain equal. This means that even though the conductivity of water increases with added ions, it remains electrically neutral.

Conductivity can be affected by many factors. 

1.    The addition of fresh water (rain) lowers conductivity because rainwater has low conductivity and the increase in water levels dilutes mineral concentrations. 

2.     Conductivity is affected by temperature. The warmer the water, the higher the conductivity. 

3.     Soil and rocks release dissolved solids into the waters that flow through or over them. Therefore, the geology of a certain area will determine the conductivity. 

A sudden increase or decrease in conductivity in a body of water can indicate pollution. Agricultural runoff or a sewage leak will increase conductivity due to the additional chloride, phosphate and nitrate ions. An oil spill or addition of other organic compounds would decrease conductivity as these elements do not break down into ions. 

Turbidity

Turbidity is commonly used as an indicator for the general condition of the drinking water, but is an easy field water quality parameter to measure.  Turbidity in water is caused by suspended matter such as clay, silt, and organic matter and by plankton and other microscopic organisms that interfere with the passage of light through the water (American Public Health Association, 1998). Turbidity is closely related to total suspended solids (TSS), but also includes plankton and other organisms. Turbidity of natural waters tends to increase during runoff events as a result of increased overland flow, stream flow, and erosion.

Turbidity itself is not a major health concern, but high turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. It also may indicate the presence of microbes (U.S. EPA Office of Water, Current Drinking Water Standards).

There are also a few factors that will affect the turbidity content  in water.

1.      Total suspended solids, the factors affecting TSS will also affect turbidity. In addition, organic matter contributes to turbidity.

2.    High flow rates. The flow rate of a water body is a primary factor influencing turbidity concentrations. Fast running water can carry more particles and larger-sized sediment. Heavy rains can pick up sand, silt, clay, and organic particles from the land and carry it to surface water. A change in flow rate also can affect turbidity; if the speed or direction of the water current increases, particulate matter from bottom sediments may be resuspended. 

3.       Soil erosion. Soil erosion is caused by disturbance of a land surface. Soil erosion can be caused by road construction and logging. The eroded soil particles can be carried to surface water. This will increase the turbidity of the water body.

4.    Urban runoff. During storm events, soil particles and debris from streets and industrial, commerical, and residential areas can be washed into streams. Because of the large amount of pavement in urban areas, natural settling areas have been removed, and sediment is carried through storm drains to creeks and rivers.

5.     Decaying plants and animals. As plants and animals present in a water body die and decay, suspended organic particles are released and can contribute to turbidity.

6.       Flooding. As flood waters recede, they will bring along inorganic and organic particles from the land surface, and contribute this to the stream.

There are a few ways that fine particles can have a harmful impact on freshwater fish.

1.       Acting directly on fish, killing them or reducing their growth rate, resistance to disease.

2.       Preventing successful development of fish eggs and larvae.

3.       Modifying natural movements and migrations.

4.       Reducing the amount of food available and affecting the efficiency of methods for catching fish. 

Total Dissolved Solid (TDS)

Total dissolved solids (TDS) combine the sum of all ion particles that are smaller than 2 microns (0.0002 cm). This includes all of the disassociated electrolytes that make up salinity concentrations, as well as other compounds such as dissolved organic matter. In “clean” water, TDS is approximately equal to salinity. In wastewater or polluted areas, TDS can include organic solutes (such as hydrocarbons and urea) in addition to the salt ions.

At most, freshwater can have 2000 mg/L of total dissolved solids, and most sources should have much less than that. Depending on the ionic properties, excessive total dissolved solids can produce toxic effects on fish and fish eggs. Salmonids exposed to higher than average levels of CaSO4 at various life stages experienced reduced survival and reproduction rates. When total dissolved solids ranged above 2200-3600 mg/L, salmonids, perch and pike all showed reduced hatching and egg survival rates.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are also affected by a few following factors.

1.       Some dissolved solids come from organic sources such as leaves, silt, plankton, and industrial waste and sewage. Other sources come from runoff from urban areas, road salts used on street during the winter, and fertilizers and pesticides used on lawns and farms.

2. Some dissolved solids come from inorganic materials such as rocks and air that may contain calcium bicarbonate, nitrogen, iron phosphorous, sulfur, and other minerals. Many of these materials form salts, which are compounds that contain both a metal and a nonmetal. Salts usually dissolve in water forming ions. Ions are particles that have a positive or negative charge.

3. Since rain water contributes to most of the water in a watershed, it contributes to the amount of TDS in a watershed. Rain water is almost pure with less than 10 mg/L of TDS.

Total Suspended Solid (TSS)

Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are solids in water that can be trapped by a filter. TSS can include a wide variety of material, such as silt, decaying plant and animal matter, industrial wastes, and sewage. High concentrations of suspended solids can cause many problems for stream health and aquatic life.

High TSS can block light from reaching submerged vegetation. As the amount of light passing through the water is reduced, photosynthesis slows down. Reduced rates of photosynthesis causes less dissolved oxygen to be released into the water by plants. If light is completely blocked from bottom dwelling plants, the plants will stop producing oxygen and will die. As the plants are decomposed, bacteria will use up even more oxygen from the water. Low dissolved oxygen can lead to fish kills. High TSS can also cause an increase in surface water temperature, because the suspended particles absorb heat from sunlight. This can cause dissolved oxygen levels to fall even further (because warmer waters can hold less DO), and can harm aquatic life in many other ways, as discussed in the temperature section.

There are a few factors that can affect Total Suspended Solids (TSS).

1. High Flow Rates

- The flow rate of the water body is a primary factor in TSS concentrations. Fast running water can carry more particles and larger-sized sediment. Heavy rains can pick up sand, silt, clay, and organic particles (such as leaves, soil, tire particles) from the land and carry it to surface water. A change in flow rate can also affect TSS; if the speed or direction of the water current increases, particulate matter from bottom sediments may be resuspended. 

2. Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is caused by disturbance of a land surface. Soil erosion can be caused by Building and Road Construction, Forest Fires, Logging, and Mining. The eroded soil particles can be carried by stormwater to surface water. This will increase the TSS of the water body.

3. Urban Runoff

- During storm events, soil particles and debris from streets and industrial, commerical, and residential areas can be washed into streams. Because of the large amount of pavement in urban areas, infiltration is decreased, velocity increases, and natural settling areas have been removed. Sediment is carried through storm drains directly to creeks and rivers.

4. Wastewater and Septic System Effluent

- The effluent from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) can add suspended solids to a stream. The wastewater from our houses contains food residue, human waste, and other solid material that we put down our drains. Most of the solids are removed from the water at the WWTP before being discharged to the stream, but treatment can’t eliminate everything.

5. Decaying Plants and Animals

- As plants and animals decay, suspended organic particles are released and can contribute to the TSS concentration.

6. Bottom-Feeding Fish

- Bottom-feeding fish (such as carp) can stir up sediments as they remove vegetation. These sediments can contribute to TSS.

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)

Total Kjeldahl nitrogen is the sum of organic nitrogen, ammonia, and ammonium in the chemical analysis of soil, water and wastewater. To calculate Total Nitrogen (TN), the concentrations of nitrate-N and nitrite-N are determined and added to the total Kjeldahl nitrogen.

Today, total Kjeldahl nitrogen is a required parameter for regulatory reporting at many treatment plants.

The Kjeldahl analysis may be broken down into three main steps:

• Digestion - the decomposition of nitrogen in organic samples utilizing a concentrated acid solution. This is accomplished by boiling a homogeneous sample in concentrated sulfuric acid. The end result is an ammonium sulfate solution.
• Distillation - adding excess base to the acid digestion mixture to convert NH4+ to NH3, followed by boiling and condensation of the NH3 gas in a receiving solution.
• Titration - to quantify the amount of ammonia in the receiving solution. The amount of nitrogen in a sample can be calculated from the quantified amount of ammonia ions in the receiving solution.

Colour

Testing the colour of any sample of water offers a fast way to determine the level of contamination. Most discolouration results from organic materials through inorganic substances such as various minerals can also be responsible.

The colours of water indicates the presence of a range of chemical and organic pollutants such as copper from plumbing systems, rust from iron pipes, algae, bacteria, and so on. This means that colour testing is an effective way to determine the nature of water pollution.

Water Testing Instruments for Colour Measurement

Colour in water can be measured by eye. This process involves comparing a sample to a series of slides or tubes of various hues. However, this method is cumbersome and not suitable for certain types of contamination such as that resulting from industrial waste.

Nowadays we have access to range of sophisticated colour measurement equipment. Models such as the MD 100 Photometer are equipped with high-quality interference filters.

Fast, easy to use, highly accurate, the MD 100 Photometer is compact, portable and safe. They use LEDs as a light source to test water in a transparent sample chamber. They can also store comprehensive date of past results for ease of recall.

BOD

Biochemical oxygen demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. the BOD value is commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of sample during  5 days of incubation at 20°C and often used as a surrogate of the degree of organic pollution of water.

The method that used for the BOD was dilution method. This standard method is recognized by U.S. EPA, which is labelled 5210B in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste water. In order to obtain BOD5, dissolved oxygen(DO) concentrations in a sample must be measured before and after the incubation period, and appropriately adjusted by the sample corresponding dilution factor. This analysis is performed using 300 ml incubation bottles in which buffered dilution water is dosed with seed microorganisms and stored for 5 days in the dark room to prevent DO production via photosynthesis. In addition to the various dilutions of BOD samples, this procedure requires dilution water blanks, glucose glutamic acid (GGA) controls, and seed controls. The dilution water blank is used to confirm the quality of the dilution water that is used to dilute the other samples. This is necessary because impurities in the dilution water may cause significant alterations in the results.

Most pristine rivers will have a 5-days BOD below 1 mg/L. Moderately polluted rivers may have a BOD value in the range of 2-8 mg/L. rivers considered severely polluted when BOD values exceed 8 mg/L. Municipal sewage that is efficiently treated by a three-stage process would have value about 20 mg/L or less. So, the lower value BOD indicates better quality of water. Based on the result obtained, all the biochemical oxygen demand value for the dilution 25 ml, 50 ml, and dilution 100 ml for the five week below than 1 mg/L. So, the Sungai Lendu does not polluted because the BOD value does not exceed 1 mg/L.

Bar Chart for water monitoring

Air Monitoring (Modenas Kriss 100)

Motorcycle : Modenas Kriss 100

Figure 1: Reading for Modenas Kriss 100 at speed 30km/h

Figure 2: Reading for Modenas Kriss 100 at speed 70km/h

Figure 3: Reading for Modenas Kriss 100 at speed 110km/h

Table 1: Reading for Modenas Kriss 100