10.1.4

Waste Water

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Sources of Waste Water

To avoid polluting our environment, we must treat waste water before letting it return into the environment. There are three main sources of waste water:

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Domestic sources of waste water

  • Washing up, using the toilet and taking a shower are all activities which produce waste water.
  • Treatment removes the organic matter and harmful microbes found in this waste.
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Agricultural sources of waste water

  • Nutrient run-off and slurry are two major sources of agricultural waste water.
  • Similarly to domestic waste water, organic matter and harmful microbes must be removed before allowing this water to go back into fresh water sources.
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Industrial sources of waste water

  • The Haber process is an example of an industrial process that generates large volumes of waste water.
  • Extra treatment stages are required for industrial waste water to make sure there are no harmful chemicals that remain in the water.

Sewage Treatment

To avoid polluting our environment, we must treat sewage before letting it return into the environment. The steps in the sewage treatment process are:

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Screening

  • Sewage is examined to remove grit and any large items, such as plastic bags.
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Sedimentation

  • Sedimentation results in the separation of sewage into heavier sludge and lighter effluent.
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Sludge vs effluent

  • The sludge is anaerobically digested by bacteria.
  • The effluent is aerobically digested by bacteria.

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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