Welcome to the podcast of Lithuanian Cielo group 3, where we present information about environmental issues and review their solutions, our main topic being wastewater purification. Today our specific topic is focused on the very beginning – where the wastewater in purification systems comes from?
As long as people exist, it is only natural that we produce some sort of pollution, including wastewater which we will mainly discuss today. Traditionally wastewater is said to come from toilets, sinks, and has oils, food scraps, human waste in it. Various industries from which toxic elements enter the waters are included in the list too. But this information alone barely scratches the surface. Usually, wastewater is put into three categories: domestic, industrial, and stormwater.
Domestic wastewater is the one produced by human activities in homes. It comes from kitchen sinks, showers, washing machines, toilets, you name it. Interestingly, domestic wastewater is 99.9% water and only 0.1% of it is pure contaminants. This water accidentally leaches into ground and surface waters through old-fashioned cesspools and septic systems, because they never adequately treat sewage.
Stormwater is rain and melting snow that flows off every surface you can imagine: from roads, rooftops, lawns to parking lots, construction sites, parks, and other commercial areas. Pollutants present in stormwater might be various garbage, grease, gasoline, road salt, lawn pesticides, pet waste, and other chemicals. Unfortunately, most of it doesn’t travel to a wastewater treatment plant but flows overland or is discharged by storm sewers into nearby waterways like lakes and rivers.
Lastly, we have industrial wastewater, which is probably the worst of them all. Industrial wastewater is produced not only by chemical manufacturers, mining sites, steel production and metal finishing facilities, power plants or during oil and gas spillages but also by food production industries, industrial laundries and other facilities that make everyday items. Unfortunately, the same wastewater treatment plants produce polluted water too. And healthcare facilities contaminate water with medicine that is the most difficult if not almost impossible to clean out.
To put things into perspective, a study made by a team of scientists from York University published in 2022 where 1,000 water samples were taken in 104 countries, showed that at 25.7% of the sites, concentration of at least one active pharmaceutical ingredient was not safe. And if to talk about general water pollution, amounts of waste released annually from sewage treatment plants range from 3 billion to 10 billion gallons. Also, The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports about between 23,000 and 75,000 sanitary sewer overflows happening every year.
To fully understand the extent of how much waste we produce, there is a quote from Edward Jones, a Ph.D. researcher at Utrecht University: “Globally, about 359 billion cubic meters of wastewater is produced each year, equivalent to 144 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. About 48 percent of that water is currently released untreated.” At this point, it seems that we create wastewater in every place we go, so next time you dispose of water, at least make sure there aren’t any non-degradable or toxic materials in it, let’s acknowledge the problem, educate ourselves on it and stay mindful! Also huge thanks for listening to our podcast!
Welcome to the “Clean Water for All” podcast, where we explore the latest in water treatment and purification technology. Today, we’re talking about wastewater purification and the different methods that are used to make it safe for reuse and discharge. We are three students from the Romanian group. We are Tanko Darius, Suciu Miruna Maria and Ana Maria Creangă. Our topic is Wastewater Purification and today we are going to talk about why keeping water clean should be a major concern, including for the benefit of wildlife habitats, human enjoyment, and quality of life, as well as health issues.
So, what are the harmful effects of wastewater?
Some nations don’t even bother to handle storm wastewater, which causes pollution issues for their ecosystems. Therefore governing bodies in various places worldwide should take the effort to ensure efficient design and operation of separate wastewater plants for various sorts of wastewater.
That’s interesting, can you tell me more about it?
The goal of wastewater treatment is to accelerate the natural purification processes of water. The environment and people’s health may suffer if wastewater is not adequately handled. Numerous processes, including bathing, washing, using the toilet, and runoff from rains, result in the formation of wastewater. Water that has been used for domestic industrial, and commercial purposes and has become waste is essentially used water. Wastewater is any water that has been used and contains contaminants. The goal of wastewater purification is to remove these contaminants and make the water safe for reuse or discharge into the environment.
How can we treat wastewater?
The two main stages of wastewater treatment are primary and secondary treatment. During the primary stage, solids are removed from wastewater and allowed to separate. The secondary stage uses biological processes to further purify the wastewater. Sometimes these steps are combined, and other times tertiary treatment and advanced wastewater treatment are used as additional treatment. During initial treatment, material that would either float or quickly settle out by gravity is eliminated. This therapy includes the physical processes of screening, comminution the breaking down of a material into small particles or fragments grit removal, and sedimentation.
What is something crucial to remember?
It’s also crucial to remember that wastewater management should be carried out with the goal of reducing the expense of finding and creating new water facilities whenever there is a water shortage. Wastewater management should be seen as an environmental concern as well.
How can we filter the water?
Thankfully, we can use wastewater treatment technology to filter and cleanse the wastewater and make it potable and useable by removing impurities like sewage and chemicals. Physical water treatment, biological water treatment, chemical treatment, and sludge treatment are the four most often used methods of wastewater treatment.
How can we remove organic matter from the water?
A common method of wastewater purification is activated sludge treatment. This process uses bacteria to break down organic matter and remove pollutants. The bacteria are first grown in a separate tank, called an aeration basin, where they are fed oxygen to help them grow. The wastewater is then added to the basin, where the bacteria break down the contaminants. The water is then sent to a settling tank, where the bacteria and other solids are removed. The clean water is then ready for reuse or discharge.
Can you tell me another method?
Another method of wastewater purification is membrane filtration. This process uses a membrane to filter out particles, bacteria, and other contaminants. The water is forced through the membrane, leaving the contaminants behind. This method is often used in industrial settings and is highly effective at removing small particles and bacteria.
Thanks for listening to this episode of “Clean Water for All.” We hope you learned something new about the importance of wastewater purification and the different methods used to make water safe for reuse and discharge. Join us next time as we explore the latest in water conservation and sustainable water management.
Nina: Hello and welcome to “The solution to water pollution“ – our podcast on wastewater treatment. Today, we will be discussing the topic in depth and exploring the different stages and methods involved in treating wastewater to ensure it is safe for release back into the environment.
Tonko: That’s right. Wastewater treatment is a crucial aspect of environmental protection and public health. It involves removing pollutants from water, such as human waste, chemicals, and other harmful substances, to make sure that it is safe to be released into the environment. This process is essential in preserving our water sources and conserving water resources.
Nina: The process of wastewater treatment typically consists of several stages, each designed to remove specific contaminants from the water. The first stage is the removal of larger solids, such as sticks and rags, which are often screened out. The wastewater then moves to a grit chamber, where heavy substances such as sand and gravel settle to the bottom and are removed.
Tonko: It’s important to remove these heavier solids because they can damage the equipment used in the later stages of treatment. After the grit removal, the wastewater is sent to a primary sedimentation tank where larger organic materials settle and form sludge at the bottom. This sludge is then removed and disposed of properly. The primary sedimentation step plays a critical role in the overall treatment process because it removes a significant amount of the organic matter in the wastewater, which makes the subsequent biological treatment step more efficient.
Nina: What do we do next? The next step is the biological treatment, which involves the use of microorganisms to break down the organic matter in the wastewater. This process is typically carried out in aeration tanks where oxygen is supplied to the microorganisms. The microorganisms consume the organic matter and produce biosolids, which are then sent to the secondary sedimentation tank where they settle and are removed.
Tonko: There are several types of microorganisms that can be used in the biological treatment process, depending on the specific wastewater being treated. For example, some wastewater may contain high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be converted into usable forms by specific microorganisms. Additionally, the process of wastewater treatment is constantly evolving, with new technologies being developed all the time to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the treatment process.
Nina: One of these newer treatment methods is the use of constructed wetlands or bioreactors, which provide a more natural and sustainable alternative to traditional wastewater treatment methods. These technologies mimic the natural processes that occur in wetlands, using plants and microorganisms to remove pollutants from the water. They provide a more sustainable solution than traditional wastewater treatment methods, which often rely on chemical and physical treatments that can have a negative impact on the environment.
Tonko: Now that we told you about the solution, the next step isf making sure this keeps up. Another important aspect of wastewater treatment is regulation. The process of wastewater treatment is heavily regulated to ensure that the treated wastewater meets strict water quality standards before it can be released into the environment. This is to prevent any harm to the environment or public health. The treated wastewater must undergo disinfection to kill any remaining pathogens before it can be released. This is typically done using chlorine or ultraviolet light.
Nina: Additionally, the treated wastewater must be tested regularly to make sure that it meets the water quality standards. This can include tests for pH levels, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand, among others. The results of these tests are used to determine if any adjustments need to be made to the treatment process to ensure that the wastewater meets the necessary standards.
Nina: In conclusion, wastewater treatment is a crucial aspect of environmental protection and public health. It removes pollutants from water, ensuring that it is safe to be released back into the environment. With the ongoing advancements in technology, the process of wastewater treatment is becoming more efficient and effective, making it even more important in protecting our world.
Tonko: Thank you for listening to our podcast on wastewater treatment. We hope you learned something new and useful today.
M.G: Hi everyone, we’re the group 3 from Italy, today, in this episode we are talking about purification plants. We have recently studied the methods to purify water, in particular we have deepened the process made by the water purification industries. As we have seen there are many ways to recycle water but many of them are artificial. But, did you know that this process can also be done by plants?
Marika: I recently discovered that near water plants absorb nutrients, chemicals and metals. A lot of attention has been paid to plants that filter the water to make sure it can be cleaned without chemicals. This process is called phytoremediation (or in case of nature-based solution (NBS) involving other organisms – it is bioremediation. I’ve read that musk can absorb a large amount of lead thanks to a specific acid; it can also help remove arsenic, which could be present in mining- contaminated environments. In fact, according to a study, the level of arsenic dropped below 80% after an hour in the presence of moss, this process is called phytoextraction. I also read about phytodepuration, does anyone know this technique? Phytoremediation is commonly divided by the mechanism of remediation on:
Alessandro: Different species of aquatic plants, (succulent plants), marshes and other, are able to clean up the waters in a totally natural way without the aid of technology or chemistry, in some ways enemies of the environment. In the swamps we see so many ugly weeds that we think they are bad, what if I told you that these are the lungs of the swamps? And have we found a way to use them to our advantage? they are being exploited by little friends who have been occupying this fantastic planet since before mother nature even had us in her mind, bacteria (enthusiastic tone), these are aerobic which means they need oxygen, supplied by plants and which they use for their survival. The bacteria which produce antimicrobic substances can contribute to water purification by eliminating pathogens, such as dangerous viruses, bacteria and much more. But these are the only plants that can be used or are there others? And why don’t we use them always to clean up the waters?
Daniel: No, there are a lot of other plants that we can use, they can grow in well-humidified areas such as cattail, a very widespread marsh plant, aquatic mint characteristic of water-bearing areas) and in well-shaded woods with a more or less cool climate(such as soft rush. The phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly solution to the pollution which is also low cost. The difficulties to use it for a massive pollution is that not all the levels of contamination could be treated with NBS (living organisms could just dead), sometimes physical and chemical methods are the only choice. Given the differences between the plant species, the variation of their capacity to improve the environment by eliminating different compounds and inequality of conditions of their growing, there are no a “standardized” solution. But it is very well managed by the Nature, which is more powerful than all our calculus.
Maria Grazia: all this shows us that saving the planet is not that complicated, the message we want to send is that it would be enough to pay more attention in small gestures.. if plants succeed, we can do it too, right? We hope you enjoyed our podcast, see you next time!
Lithuania: Mantas Nikolaitis, Zygimantas Bakanas, Paulina Kepezinskaite, Livija Zamuskaite
Romania: Darius Tankó, Miruna Maria Suciu, Ana-Maria Creangă
Croatia: Lara Šteković, Nina Malić, Tonko Brebrić, Ana Lucija Barić
Italy: Alessandro Ruggiero, Maria Grazia Papaleo, Marika Castelliti, Daniel Brugnano
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