Wastewater treatment methods: the more the better

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The higher the level of development of a civilization, the more waste it produces. Today, the most pressing questions of our time are: "Where to put sewerage? How to clean it? What is the treatment of sewage and wastewater?"

Purification of water flowing into the sewer is a process whose purpose is the destruction or destruction of harmful substances and impurities in these waters. Some experts believe that this process is single, but consists of several stages. Others single out each stage of purification as an independent method. In any case, a variety of wastewater treatment methods are used in the rectification of sewage water. They are rectified with:

• reagents, chemicals;
• filtration and settling;
• electrolysis;
• oxidation and other physical and chemical transformations;
• bacteria, germs, other microorganisms;
• all methods at the same time (in stages).

Choicespecific method depends on the end goal

Mechanical methods of wastewater treatment

The main techniques are filtering and settling. The largest mechanical impurities are removed using gratings, a sieve copes with smaller ones.

The filtered water then passes through sand traps, special membranes and septic tanks.

Contaminants are removed from the surface using oil, oil or gasoline traps. Settling together with the use of filters allows you to purify water from impurities by 75-95%, some of which are suitable for processing.

Chemical wastewater treatment

This is the name of the purification method, in which reagents that decompose impurities are introduced into the waste water. From 25% of soluble and up to 75% of insoluble contaminants are eliminated using this method.

Physical and chemical methods of wastewater treatment

The most commonly used for such cleaning is:

1. Coagulation - "gluing" fine particles into large formations.
2. Oxidation is a reaction in which contaminants "burn" under the action of reagents.
3. Sorption - absorption of pollutants from wastewater by reagents.
4. Extraction - extraction of dry substances from the waters.

The use of sorption, coagulation, extraction and other techniques helps to remove fine impurities, inorganic contaminants, destroy organics or impurities that are poorly oxidized.

Biological wastewater treatment

The essence of this technique is that natural processes are used, as a result of which self-purification of water bodies occurs. For rectification of waste water is often used:

1. Biofilters are devices through which water is filtered. Biofilters differ from ordinary biofilters in that anaerobic microorganisms are cultivated on their surface, which oxidize pollution.
2. Aerotanks - tanks for water purification, built of reinforced concrete. Here, microorganisms, amoeba and ciliates during their lives create sludge, with the help of which cleaning takes place. Amoeba, rotifers and other creatures that breed in the silt contribute to the constant rejuvenation of the silty substrate. Biological processes are developing rapidly, as organisms are provided with a constant supply of food - sewage.
3. Biological ponds are artificial structures for settling waters, operating on the principle of natural self-cleaning. All organisms living in the pond are involved in the process.

Electrolytic wastewater treatment methods

They are most profitable where wastewater is contaminated with a large amount of metal impurities: in the paint and varnish industry, copper industry, etc. The cleaning process is carried out in special containers.