The planet is facing a real problem of water pollution, which has aroused great concern and the need to seek solutions, since the planet has only 1% of water suitable for consumption and little by little we are contaminating the entire planet. Here we present the causes, consequences and possible solutions, including the Classification of Residual Water, in order to have an optimal treatment. Cheer up, read and act!
Wastewater Classification
Wastewater Classification is a practice that has been adopted for some years in order to create forms of treatment in order to stop or reverse environmental damage. Their classification will depend directly on the amount of toxic substances they contain, it also influences whether the matter is dissolved or in suspension and logically its origin.
The difference between sewage and residual water must be taken into account, since the first comes from domestic use and the second is a mixture of industrial and domestic water. But beyond this, wastewater can be of domestic, industrial and urban origin.
Residual water
Residual waters are those that lose their property thanks to the effect of polluting agents, which can be of natural origin or generated and transformed by the unscrupulous activity of man. This has negatively and directly affected the aquifers, seas, rivers and lakes that are incapable of absorbing and neutralizing this contaminant load, causing a real ecological imbalance, which is why they cease to be a source of supply.
Starting from this premise, it is important to know the classification of wastewater from domestic activities, also called sewage, served or fecal, and those generated by industries with highly toxic substances. Hence, the need to establish mechanisms for its treatment that guarantee its subsequent usability or return in a treated and harmless way to its natural receiving source.
Characteristics of the wastewater
Wastewater presents substances in different states that can be dissolved, suspended or solid and colloidal, that is, made up of two or more phases. These waters have very particular color, odor, temperature, turbidity and density conditions that will depend on how much organic matter is found in the water that generates the loss of oxygen.
Among these organic materials are the main compounds such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. Animal and vegetable residues, oils such as industrial or domestic waste and surfactants must also be taken into account. Likewise, there are biological agents that negatively affect the body of water, among them are fungi and bacteria that allow decomposition.
Origin of Wastewater
The human being has been polluting the waters in an excessive way in the development of their daily activities. The degradation of water bodies can originate from various sources such as: industrial, domestic, recreational, agricultural and livestock. In addition to this, it is important to know the amount and type of chemical and bacteriological substances that they may contain according to their origin. Each of the ways in which wastewater originates is described below.
Domestic Wastewater
Domestic wastewater is the product of daily activity and the use of chemical and organic agents that end up degrading large amounts of water. This is due to the use of soaps, detergents, grease, oils, fecal residues and urine, among others. This ends up breaking down the very origin of the water, turning it into a mass of water that can mostly not be reused. These waters are subdivided into two large groups, black water and gray water.
Black water: These waters are those that originate from mineral or organic substances. When it comes to mineral origin, it refers to the amount of sedimentation that it can contain since they come from underground sources. In the case of pollution of organic origin, it is when the water has microorganisms that feed on dead organic matter, decomposing the original principles of this element, who are directly responsible for the bad smell and appearance.
Grey waters: They are a type of water that does not contain primarily fecal waste. They originate from domestic activities such as laundry, scrubbing the slab, showering, washing hands. They mostly contain little fat or oil, so they can be reused, especially in irrigation, in an ecological way.
Urban Wastewater
These are the unified set of all the waters coming from urban, residential, commercial complexes and recreational activities, which converge in a single sewage system. In it, both black and gray waters come together, which ends up being a great contaminating agent.
Industrial Wastewater
They originate from industrial activity, in which water is required for the process, transformation and production and handling of some product or service. Well, in each of these steps amounts of chemical agents, heavy metals and organic matter are added, this last aspect being the most relevant. These waters can be subdivided according to their discharge.
In the case of organic-type discharges, water with a high content of organic material with suspended and decantable matter is discarded. In it is the industry in which animal sacrifice is carried out, tanneries, dairy factories, preparation of food products, soap, beverages, paper industry, among many others.
Industries with organic and inorganic discharges are those capable of discharging colloidal materials, that is, those that have large concentrations of oils, ammonia, sulfides, and phenols. These industries are mainly of the petrochemical type, refineries and textiles.
The inorganic type slopes, for their part, contain large amounts of heavy metals, iron, fats, oils, cyanide, tars, phenols, to name a few. These are produced in industries specializing in metal cleaning and coating products, mining and salt mines.
However, the industries that generate a discharge with suspended matter are those that use large amounts of highly toxic products, oils, greases and sedimentables. It includes activities such as mineral washing, marble polishing, hot rolling, continuous casting, among others.
Last but not least, there are the industries that generate a spring with refrigerant-type elements, in which high concentrations of acid, selenium, arsenic, mercury and settleable solids are found. They are mostly used thermal and nuclear power plants.
Agricultural and Livestock Wastewater
These waters have a high amount of pesticides, suspended solids and salts that end up degrading the substrate. They come from large irrigation systems of extensive extensions of crops. Likewise, livestock farming is a crucial factor in the contamination of waters by animal excrement and the use of chemical substances used for its rapid development.
rainwater
The passage of rainwater, usually drag amounts of pollutants that are mostly on the surface and in some cases cause the overflow of sewers generating chaos.
Polluting Factors in Wastewater
Wastewater has different contaminating agents, which change its essence thanks to changes produced by chemical action and the presence of bacteria. This decomposition begins when the water becomes cloudy, changing its appearance and smell, which soon begins to generate and release gases, acidifies and raises the temperature. All this is due to the toxic action of compounds of mineral and organic origin.
This generates an infectious potential, since it facilitates the reproduction and transmission of diseases, either through its consumption, irrigation of food plants and food from the sea (when the discharge is towards the sea). A body of contaminated water disfigures the appearance of the landscape, causes bad odours, changes its color, becomes acidic and generates gases, as well as allowing the proliferation of a series of insects that are harmful to health.
Wastewater is a source of infection as it contains large amounts of pesticides, highly toxic chemicals, medical waste, and feces, causing environmental problems and serious health risks. This has managed to contaminate not only the surface supply sources but also to affect the groundwater.
Plants to Treat the Different Residual Waters
Wastewater is a highly polluting agent that destroys entire ecosystems, helps degrade the substrate, causes acid rain, causes diseases, to name a few. However, the treatment of these waters is becoming more essential every day because in this way the environment and public health are notably improved and it is reused benefiting other means.
For these reasons it is necessary to use systems that allow the water to be poured back into its natural tributaries or simply be reused. For this, there are various processes that help to remove contaminating substances and agents from the water.
To start the process of recovering the water, it is first necessary to go through preliminary treatment such as the grid, which is used to retain any type of garbage such as solid materials. Subsequently, it is passed through a sieve, which allows a greater amount of solid material to be collected, then the water passes through micro filters, which stop smaller particles and finally the grit traps that end up removing any particle of earth, sand or other sediment.
After this pretreatment, the most pertinent system is located to complete the water sanitation. Such is the case of primary treatments, in which possible sedimentation materials are removed through physical-chemical processes. Secondary treatment uses biological-chemical procedures that remove what sedimentation failed to do.
Tertiary treatment plants use physical-chemical processes to remove contaminants from water such as nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, organic compounds, minerals and certain viruses.
How to Reduce Wastewater
Being water one of the most important elements for life, we must carry out actions that from the most individual can help reduce the levels of contamination of the vital liquid. For this, it is advisable to learn how to dispose of waste, avoiding throwing non-biodegradable products down the drain, such as oils, paints, solvents, ammonia, among others.
Learn to save water, adopting consumption habits, turning off taps, checking containers, taking short showers, watering plants at night and not excessively. Reduce the use of chemical and highly toxic products when carrying out cleaning and laundry tasks. If it is necessary to use chemical products, make sure they are biodegradable.
With these small but powerful actions, you can contribute to the conservation of waters and all that they imply.
Fun Facts about Wastewater
The planet has 70% of water masses on the entire land surface, of which 96,5% corresponds to salt water from seas and oceans and only 3,5% is fresh, of this percentage 2,5 % is found frozen at the poles and only the remaining 1% comprises water suitable for consumption. 80% of the planet's wastewater is discharged into the polluted environment. Did you know that water dissolves more substances than any other liquid, but it cannot degrade contaminating agents.
Every year more than 450 cubic kilometers of sewage are thrown into the sea. Freshwater animals are going extinct five times faster than land animals. Underground water reserves supply 80% of the world's population and 4% of these reserves are already contaminated.
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Learn much more about the Environment by following these links.
Activities for the Care of the Environment
Importance of water for living beings
Drinking Water Characteristics