Is your wastewater toxic to the municipal treatment plant?

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Pollution Engineering

OSTI ID:624059

Havash, J; Oster, J ^[1]

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1. Lockwood Green Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States)

For many reasons, it is beneficial to know whether or not wastewater generated from a manufacturing process is toxic or can inhibit the microorganisms in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. One simple way to test the wastewater is by using a laboratory respirometer, which can evaluate both toxicity and treatability. In some cases, respirometer use may save an industry thousands or even millions of dollars by proving that certain chemicals previously perceived to be detrimental are actually treatable in the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Because these chemicals will not cause any harm, the cost of a pretreatment plant is avoided. Of course, the reverse could be true when a municipality suspects wastewater discharged from an industry is causing an upset condition to its activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. Because toxicity and treatability are both functions of the respiration rate of microbial cells, a method that measures the respiration rate of microbial cells also can be used to measure toxicity. This article discusses several situations in which a respirometer was used to measure the toxicity and treatability of wastewater suspected to have a toxic effect on the municipal activated sludge plant.

• OSTI ID: 624059
• Journal Information: Pollution Engineering, Journal Name: Pollution Engineering Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 30; ISSN PLENBW; ISSN 0032-3640
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MICROORGANISMS
MONITORING
PERFORMANCE
TOXIC MATERIALS
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTE WATER