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METALS REMOVALS AND PARTITIONING IN CONVENTIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS
Citation:
Petrasek, Jr., A. AND I. Kugelman. METALS REMOVALS AND PARTITIONING IN CONVENTIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-83/191 (NTIS PB84177484), 1983.
Description:
Metals removal and partitioning to primary and secondary sludge during treatment of domestic wastewater by conventional sewage treatment processes was studied. Raw wastewater entering the Mill Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, Cincinnati, Ohio, was fed to a 0.1 l/s (1.6 gpm) pilot treatment plant. The plant consisted of a sewer simulator, aerated grit chamber, primary settler, and activated sludge process. Metals were monitored at the various stages of treatment by analysis of composite samples. Based on mean values, overall removal of As, Ca, Mg, Hg, and SiO2 was less than 20%; of Ag, Cr and Mn was between 20% and 50% of Cd, Fe, Ni and Zn was between 50% and 80%; and was greater than 80% for Cu and Pb. Average removal for all metals was 42%. The primary sludge contained 10% - 15% of the metals entering the plant while the waste activated sludge contained about 30%. These results are similar to those recently in other cities of the U.S.