Types of pollution in wastewaters

1. lntroduction:
Watercourses have a natural capacity of purification but this capacity has the effect of
using some oxygen and therefore is not without consequences to aquatic fauna and flora.
When the importance of a rejection exceeds the capacity of auto purification of these
watercourses, the deterioration of environment can be lasting. That is why, it is necessary
to purify wastewaters before rejecting them in natural environment.

2. definition of pollution:
The water pollution is a physical, chemical or biological deterioration of this water.
Caused by the rejection of undesirable substances, which unsettle living conditions and
balance of middle aquatic, and lead to important nuisances: bad smell, fermentation,
various lack of comfort, and health risks, which reverberate, in the short term, on our
organism, across, the food chain on which we depend.

3. 3)-origin and nature of wastewater:

Depending on the origin of the polluting substances, three categories of wastewater are
distinguished:

1) Stormwater:
Stormwater can also be a source of significant pollution of watercourses, especially
during the stormy periods. The rainwater is loaded with impurities in contact with the air
(industrial fumes), then, by streaming, residues deposited on the roofs (raised from the
cities, oil drains, fuels, residues of tires and heavy metals...).
In urban areas, constructed surfaces make the soil impermeable and add the risk of
flooding to pollution.
Also called runoff waters, they are made up of water from the flow of impermeable
surfaces. These are the wash waters of voieries. The rainwater of the roofs, voieries and
car parks, the drainage waters which did not seep into the superficial part of the soil.
Drainage waters are shallow and come out as soon as there is a drain. They wash the soil
and train with them pollution related to the quality of the soil and its use.
They can also be traced back to the water table. Rainwater is dirtier at the beginning of
the rainy episode as they wash the atmosphere, roofs and waterproof surfaces.

3-2)-Domestic wastewater:
They come from the various domestic uses of water. They are essentially carriers of
organic pollution. They are divided into domestic water, which originate in bathrooms
and kitchens, and are usually loaded with detergents, fats, solvents, organic debris and
water-valves: These are the discharges of the toilets, loaded with various Nitrogenous
organic matter and fecal germs.
Domestic sewage is also made up of greywater and Eauxvannes.
The grey waters are the waters of bathtubs, showers, washbasins, sinks, washing
machines. Sewage or domestic water is a reference to digestive by-products such as fecal
matter and urine.
They can be a health problem because they carry viral and bacterial diseases. One of the
greatest successes of human civilization has been the reduction of transmission of
diseases by water-valves with the introduction of hygiene rules and a sanitation process,
including the development of sewer systems and the Plumbing.
The composition of domestic waters is roughly the same for all inhabitants. The quality
and quantity of the wastewater is indexed on the concept of Y "equivalent inhabitant 1".
Nonetheless, a large community consumes therefore discharges more domestic water
than small communities do. The average is between 100 and 180 l/inh/day. wastewater is
not constant during the day. There are peaks around 7:00. Noon and Evening, peaks
define the sizing of sewage treatment plants in the case of the sewer network.
The water consumed generally in the households is altered during consumption. affected
by laundry, cleaning products... etc. are discharged directly into the network and many
treatment of these domestic waters is then necessary so that they are reinjected into the
environment.
The pollution observed in domestic waters is as follows:
oils. Fat. Laundry. Detergents. Organic matter and suspended materials.
Domestic wastewater is often treated in sewage treatment plants or pet, whose purpose is
to separate pollutants in water that could potentially pollute the environment.

2) 3-3)-Industrial waters:
They are very different from domestic wastewater. Their characteristics vary from one
industry to another. In addition to organic, nitrogenous or phosphorus materials. They
may also contain:
• Fats (food processing industries, rendering):
• Hydrocarbons (refineries)
 • Metals (surface treatments, metallurgy)
• Acids, bases and miscellaneous chemicals (Chemical industries various,
tanneries).
• Hot water (cooling circuit of thermal power plants)
• radioactive material (nuclear power plants, radioactive waste treatment).
In some cases, before being released into the collection networks, industrial waters must
be pretreated by industrialists. They are only involved in domestic waters when they no
longer pose a danger to the collection networks and do not disturb the operation of the
pollution control plants.

4. 4)-Composition of wastewater:
Impurities in urban wastewater contain mineral materials and organic matter (which are
driven by liquid current) in the form of suspended (settleable, floating, and colloidal)
materials.

5. 5-)-Wastewater Pollution:
Pollution generally occurs in four main forms:

 Of organic origin.
 Of microbiological origin.
 Of mineral Origin
 Of toxic origin (mineral and organic).
Each of these forms of pollution necessarily corresponds to a change in the receiving
environment, which translates indirectly, and in more or less long term, by negative
consequences on the individual.
5-1)-organic PolIution:
Organic pollution is often the most important fraction especially since in its broadest
acceptance, this form of pollution can be considered as a result of various activities
(urban, Industrial, artisanal and rural) each activity rejects specific biodegradable or non-
degrading compounds.
Banal organic matter (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates), detergents (anionic, cationic,
and non-ionic), oils and tar are distinguished for urban wastewater.
5-2)-microbiological pollution:
This pollution is due to the presence of a multitude of organisms living in wastewater
brought in by feces of human or animal origin.
These bacteria play the role of pollution witnesses.
Microbiological pollution becomes very dangerous when sewage is released into a
receiving environment that can cause dangerous diseases for the individuals.
5-3)-Mineral Pollution:
These are mainly industrial effluents containing mineral substances such as salts, nitrates,
chlorides, phosphates, metal ions, lead, mercury, chromium, copper, zinc and Chlorine.
These substances:

 May cause problems on the organism of the individual.

 Disrupt bacterial activity in a sewage treatment plant.
 Seriously affecting crops.
5-4)-Toxic Pollution:
The toxicity present in wastewater may be organic or mineral, toxic organic substances
are among other things pesticides, hydrocarbons and industrial synthetic organic products
(aldehydes, phenols, Nitrogen products... etc.).
Toxic mineral substances are: high concentration salts, metal ions released by industrial
effluents.
6)-Water pollution parameters:
Sewage pollution comes in three main forms

 Physical (suspended solids).

 Chemical (dissolved organic matter).
 Biological
6-1 Physical parameters
6-1-1 temperature:
The increase in temperature decreases the solubility of gases and the dissolved oxygen
content, which is detrimental to the fauna, flora and for the faculties of skin auto
purifying the functioning of Some works in the processing chain (degreaser) require the
effluent to have a temperature lower than 30 °c.
6-1-2)-conductivity:
conductivity varies according to temperature, and depends on the concentration and
nature of the dissolved substances.
6-L-3)-Color:
Hilum is normally greyish. The black color indicates a partial decomposition of the
materials contained in the wastewater, while the other shades are of industrial origin. It is
determined to the ugly of an optical comparator.
6-L-4)-odor: Fresh sewage water with a bland odor that is not unpleasant. A foul odor
indicates a water that begins to ferment by stagnation either in the sewer system or before
rejection.
II-6-L-5)-Suspended solids (SS):
The SS represent the solid part of the pollution, this non-filterable residue is partially
eliminated during the primary treatment of the purification plant; Use the settling
processes.
The SS are divided into two categories: fixed and volatile, that is to say a part of the
volatilizes when heated at high temperatures (550 °c); This part is the organic fraction
and volatile inorganic salts.
6-1-6)- Volatile suspended solids (VSS): They represent the organic fraction of
suspended solids. They are measured by calcination at 550 °c. They make up about 70 to
80% of the SS.
6-1-7)-Mineral materials:
This is the difference between suspended solids and volatile materials. They therefore
represent the residue of calcination, and correspond to the presence of salts, silica, and
dust… etc.
6-1-8)- settleable and non-settling materials: decanting fractions are distinguished in a
given time.
Non-settling materials are those that remain in the supernatant therefore, they are directed
towards the biological or chemical treatment process.
6-2)-Chemical parameters:
6-2-1)-PH:
The hydrogen potential indicates the concentration in H + present in the influent.
For the proper operation of the purification plant, the control of this parameter is very
important.
6-2-2)-Biochemical oxygen Demand (BOD):
The absorption of oxygen from the wastewater in a watercourse is a function of the
concentration of biodegradable material contained therein. Hence the notion of
biochemical oxygen demand of this water (BOD). It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen
per liter of water.
BOD is defined as the concentration of oxygen consumed to achieve the destruction of
nitrogen compounds under the conditions of the test: incubation at 20 °c. Sheltered from
light and air, and for a given time. A measurement was chosen by convention after 5 days
of incubation called BOD5. This value represents only a fraction of the ultimate BOD, or
about 70%. Because the complete mineralization of organic matter requires a time of 20
days or more.
6-2-3)-Chemical oxygen Demand (DOC):
This is the amount of oxygen required to chemically oxidize the organic matter contained
in the effluent.
This oxidation destroyed up to 90 to 95% of the compounds, it applies to compounds that
do not play any role in the oxygen deficiency of a watercourse. for example, mineral
halides.
The measurement of COD is done before the BOD, To estimate the proportion of
dilutions to be performed. For the choice of the sewage treatment, the ratio COD/BOD5
is examined.

 COD/BOD5 = 1 Pollution totally biodegradable.

 1 < COD /DBO5 < 1.6 Biological purification associated physicochemical treatment.
 1.6 < COD /DBO5 < 3.2 Biological treatment.
 COD /DBO5 > 3.2 Biological treatment is impossible.
6-2-4)-Nutrients:
These are chemical elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
The knowledge of the quantities of nutrients contained in wastewater is therefore
indispensable to control their rejection in the receiving media, on the other hand, nitrogen
and phosphorus are essential constituents of the living matter and their presence is
essential to ensure the biological treatment of biodegradable urban and industrial effluents.
II-6-2-5)-dissolved oxygen: It characterizes the degree of pollution of a watercourse. Its
concentration in water varies depending on the temperature. The determination of this
parameter in water is done using a pulse.
II-6-3)-Biological parameters:
sewage carries fecal matter, and urine is loaded with germs of different natures, some of
which are pathogenic (bacteria, viruses, parasites... etc.)
The operations of the enumeration of the bacteria in the wastewater must be interpreted
with caution, since in this particular medium the living organisms do not present
themselves in isolated form.
This is why the level of contamination of urban wastewater is determined only from the
average concentration of control germs for a given volume of wastewater (number of
germs/100 ml).
7)-Pollutant loads:
7-1-BOD5 loads:
The BOD5 load provided by the raw water is expressed per day per capita depending on
the type of network:

 Separate sewer: 60 to 70 g/inh/d.

 Combined sewer: 70 to 80 g/inh/d.
7-2)-loads in SS:
It is estimated at a sewage treatment plant that after the physical pretreatments (screening
and desanding) and according to the type of network, we have:

 Ccombined sewer: 70 g/inh/d, of which 66% of VSS