Wastewater treatment is important to us from a personal as well as an environmental standpoint. Wastewater treatment plants use complex processes that involve the use of different chemicals to treat used water to remove pollutants, contaminants, and other organic compounds from the water so that it can be safely reintroduced into the environment.
Water treatment plants use several processes including biological and chemical processing that require the usage of different chemicals to disinfect the water and balance the ph level. Let’s discuss the primary chemicals used in wastewater treatment plants depending on the application.
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pH Neutralization of Water
To balance the pH level of the wastewater, you can add the basic chemicals to the water that includes alkalis and other acidic acids.
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Use of Chemical Precipitation to Remove Heavy Metals
Chemical precipitation is a process that helps to remove heavy metals from the wastewater. You can add the precipitation reagent to the water to remove contaminants. Heavy metals are ionically bonded with the reagent to form into solid particles. These solid particles are then removed from the water by using filtration.
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Chemical Coagulants
Chemical coagulants are aluminium or iron-based chemicals that help in removing pathogens, fluoride, organic compounds, and other contaminants. They work to destabilize wastewater particles by introducing positively charged coagulant that reduces the negative charge of the particles. The waste particles form into larger bodies that can be filtered out.
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Flocculation of Wastewater
Flocculants help to remove very fine particles from the wastewater treatment plant through charge bridging and magnetic neutralization. By adding flocculants, waste particles are encouraged to form into clumps or flocs that can settle out during the sedimentation process.
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Removal of Odour
Certain toxic contaminants often make the water smell bad. A range of effective wastewater treatment includes the use of oxidants, iron salts, biofiltration, and other technologies to keep the water fresh smelling.
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Cleaning and Degreasing Chemicals
Wastewater treatment plant contains water with oil and grease residue that needs to be processed before introducing it back into the environment. Solvent chemicals can help to break down the grease, which makes it easier to remove.
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Chemical Oxidation Process
In wastewater engineering, the process of chemical oxidation is used to convert pollutants into less destructive compounds. This helps in purification of surface waters.
Reducing agents such as sodium bisulfite, sodium hydrosulfite, and other chemicals are used to reduce the impact of hydrogen peroxide, chlorine antibiotics and other compounds in the water.
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Use of Defoamers and Antifoamers for Wastewater
A defoaming agent is a chemical additive that helps in reducing the level of trapped air and foam created during the wastewater treatment process. Defoaming agents eliminate the existing foam, while the antifoam agent prevents the air from forming again. Silicone is most commonly used as a defoaming agent.
Read More: What are the Types of Wastewater Treatment Processes?
The Bottom Line
Wastewater treatment plants and other industrial water treatment plants require the use of several distinct technologies and chemicals to process the wastewater and make it reusable. However, it is necessary to understand the science and logic behind using these techniques as it requires careful handling of several chemicals to treat the effluents in the wastewater.
Industrial wastewater plants are also responsible for adhering to various government regulations while treating wastewater, hence, it helps to have a professional wastewater expert as they have a better understanding of the subject matter and can help you navigate through different chemical procedures.
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