CEB3013 Lab 01

CEB3013: ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
SEPTEMBER 2021
SEPTEMBER 2021
EXPERIMENT 01: SOLIDS DETERMINATION
GROUP 1-06
NAME MATRICS ID
Ester Revecca anak Robertson 18002215
Aloysius Baxter Victor Jublik Underwood 18002221
Siti Norsyamina Mohd Saupi 18002253
Puteri Natrah Syafiqah Binti Ridzuan 18002263
COORDINATOR:
LAB INSTRUCTORS:
DATE:
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ABSTRACT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................8
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................11
3.1 MATERIALS AND APPARATUS............................................................................................11
3.2 SAMPLES...................................................................................................................................15
3.3 EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS............................................................................15
3.4 EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE SOLIDS AND FIXED
SOLIDS.............................................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION...................................................................................19
EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS.................................................................................19
EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE SOLIDS AND FIXED
SOLIDS.............................................................................................................................................20
EXPERIMENT C: SUSPENDED SOLIDS – TOTAL AND VOLATILE SOLIDS....................22
CHAPTER 5: REVIEW QUESTIONS...............................................................................................28
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION............................................................................................................37
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................39
APPENDICES......................................................................................................................................41
EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS.....................................................................................41
EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE SOLIDS AND FIXED SOLIDS
............................................................................................................................................................... 42
EXPERIMENT C: SUSPENDED SOLIDS – TOTAL AND VOLATILE.......................................47
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Wastewater treatment is one of the most common ways of pollution control which has
the vast system of collection sewers, pumping stations, and treatment plants. Wastewater
treatment is used to speed up the natural processes by which water is purified. The two stages
are involved in the treatment where at the primary stage, the solids are allowed to settle and
removed from the wastewater while the secondary stage uses biological processes to further
purify the wastewater. However, sometimes these stages are combined into one operation of
treatment. Based on the research done by Marshall (2020), an efficient and well-designed
wastewater treatment should be able to handle the process variations in contamination flow,
variations in water chemistry that required chemical volumes adjustments and possible changes
in water effluent requirements.
For many industrial applications, waters which is high in suspended solids may be
esthetically unsatisfactory and need to be treated before being distributed to the customers.
Solids are referred to the matter suspended or dissolved in water or wastewater. The water and
effluent quality may be affected when there are high dissolved solids in it in which it may
induce an unfavorable physiological reaction for transient customer. Solids in a wastewater
may come from various sources such as the industrial charge, sewage, road runoff as well as
the soil erosion. Therefore, solid analyses are very crucial in order to control the biological and
physical wastewater treatment processes as well as to meet the compliance with regulatory
agency for wastewater effluent limitations.
Solids in a wastewater can be classified as organic and inorganic solids. Organic solids
come from living matter which mostly come from algae. Algae are similar to plant and have
different range of sizes. Algae can affect the water quality as it will feed off the nutrients found
in water as well as will block the sunlight, depletes oxygen and releases toxins when the grow
across the surface of the water. Inorganic solids are the soil particles which enter the water
through runoff or erosion. The examples of inorganic solid are silt, sand or clay. The inorganic
solids in water may be harmful to environment if it is not treated properly before discharging as
water resource.
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There are various components of total solids in wastewater treatment which can be
simplified as in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, Total Solids (TS) are referred to the total of all
solids in water sample which include the total suspended solids and total dissolved solids
before the solids are being filtered. After the samples are filtered through a glad fiber filter. The
filters are dried and weighed to determine the amount of total suspended solids in mg/l of
sample. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are referred to the amounts of filterable solids in water
sample while Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are the solids that can pass through a filter with a
pore size of 2.0 micron or smaller. The solids that obtained through this treatment are used for
different purposes such as the total solids (TD) are used in designing and process control of
wastewater treatment facilities, total dissolved solids (TDS) are used to evaluate the suitability
of water for both domestic supplies as well as industrial purposes and the total suspended solids
(TSS) are used to evaluate the degree of pollution in natural waters and set a key process
control parameter for wastewater treatment operation.
Figure 1: Solid determination in wastewater treatment
In Environmental Engineering, solid determination is an important experiment that

carried out to determine to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment plants and to
control the processes in the plant. There are several objectives of this experiment which
includes to:
1. To become familiar with the analysis of most common wastewater treatment plant tests.
2. To illustrate some difficulties in performing these analyses.
3. To measure wastewater treatment plant efficiency in removing residue.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Wastewater Treatment Water Use (2018), the primary purpose of

wastewater treatment or also called as sewage treatment is to treat and remove suspended
solids contained in the remaining water called effluent, before it is discharged to return into
environment such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. Apart from that, it is important for both aquatic
plants and animals because they gained the oxygen produced from solid matter that decayed
during the wastewater treatment process. Wastewater is known as used water and wastewater
treatment plants help in reducing the pollutants substances contained in wastewater from food
scraps, human waste, and chemicals from the industry. This process is crucial to prevent
eutrophication from occurring due to excessive amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia
in the water sources. Eutrophication will promote excessive plant growths in lakes, leads to a
lower oxygen level for aquatic animals and eventually result in the extinction of aquatic
species. Hazardous metals such as chromium and mercury can give acute and chronic toxic
effects to the aquatic living meanwhile viruses and bacteria will harm the shellfish populations
at the beaches resulting in the extinction of the species.
A sewerage system, also known as a wastewater collection system, is a system of pipes,

pumping stations, and other devices that transport sewage from its source to a treatment and
disposal facility (“Wastewater treatment - Sewerage systems | Britannica,” 2021). In the
wastewater treatment, there are three levels involved in the process which are primary,
secondary, and tertiary treatment. The wastewater treatment plant undergoes simple processes
that imitate natural processes. In the primary treatment, about 60% of total suspended particles
and 35% of BOD are removed after first treatment however, the dissolved pollutants are not
removed. Then, the wastewater was channelled to secondary treatment where 85% of
suspended and BOD are removed. Lastly, the tertiary treatment process is rarely utilized
because it will only be applied if the condition where more than 85% of total solids and BOD
must be eliminated from secondary treatment, or when dissolved nitrate and phosphate levels.
Water resources have been significantly affected due to the population growth hence, to treat
wastewater for contamination, the wastewater treatment plants are important including the
processes involved such as oxidation processes, chemical precipitation, and adsorption
(Tutorial Tips Civil, 2020).
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Figure 2.1: Flow diagram of stages of treatment in sewage treatment plant
Based on Figure 2.1, the wastewater will be undergoing the preliminary treatment
where large debris and non-degradable objects are removed from the wastewater. This
treatment helps to protect the wastewater treatment plant and equipment from being damaged,
and to eliminate garbage, this treatment includes a bar screen, mesh screen, and grit chamber.
Debris that passes through the screens can be ground and shredded using a comminutor. Later,
sedimentation or flotation techniques are used to remove the shredded debris. Then, the
wastewater will be channelled to the primary treatment from the preliminary treatment which
involves several physical processes of screening, comminution, grit removal and sedimentation
to remove any sand particles suspended in wastewater. The flow rate of the wastewater is
lowered, allowing all suspended particles to settle due to gravity. In contrast to sludge, the
settled material is referred to as "Biosolids." The organic matter that escapes will be channelled
to the secondary treatment where it undergoes biological process to absorb organic materials
from wastewater by microorganisms, algae, and bacteria and converting them to carbon
dioxide, water, and energy. All organic pollutants are consumed by microbes, who then convert
them to carbon dioxide, water, or energy for their own reproduction. It also eliminates a higher
percentage of suspended solids. The wastewater may be treated further by tertiary processes
such as Chlorine and chloramines as well as UV radiations for disinfection process if the
intended receiving water is extremely vulnerable to pollution. Lastly, sludge or biosolids are
removed at the end of the wastewater treatment process. The by-products of these sludges are
frequently used in agriculture.
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Matter suspended or dissolved in water or wastewater is referred to as solids. Solids can
degrade the quality of water or wastewater in a variety of ways. Waters with a high
concentration of dissolved solids may cause an undesirable physiological reaction in the
temporary consumer. Total Solids (TS) are defined as the dissolved solids with suspended and
settleable solids in water (US EPA, Office of Water, 2012). It can be simplified as the total of
all solids in a water sample where it includes total suspended solids and total dissolved solids.
In the industry, Total Solids are used in the design and process control of wastewater treatment
facilities. The effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants, as well as the operation of
industrial processes that utilise raw water, can be harmed by too high or too low total solids
levels.
Meanwhile, the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are defined as the number of filterable
solids in a water sample (Anas Maghayreh, 2015). To evaluate the degree of pollution in
natural waters, Total Suspended Solids are being observed and monitored closely in the
wastewater treatment operation. It is also the dry weight of non-dissolved suspended particles
in a sample of water that may be captured by a filter and quantified using a filtration device.
Next, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are the solids that can pass through a 2.0 micron or
smaller sized filter. Their non-filterable properties allowed them to evaluate the sustainability
of water for both industrial purposes and domestic supplies. Total Dissolved Solids
concentration has an impact on the water balance in aquatic organisms' cells. Furthermore, the
Settleable Solids are the portion of the suspended solids that is of sufficient size and weight to
settle in a particular length of time. Small solid particles suspended in water are referred to as
Suspended Solids. It is commonly used as a water quality indicator in wastewater applications
(“What is Suspended Solids? - The Laboratory People,” 2019).
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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 MATERIALS AND APPARATUS

NO MATERIALS DESCRIPTION
.
1 47 mm Glass Fibre Filters
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2 Aluminium Dish
3 Desiccators
4 Distilled water bottles
5 Evaporating dish
6 Filter holder (funnel, clamp and base)
7 Filtering flask
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8 Flat tip tweezer
9 Graduated cylinders (500 mL)
10 Imhoff cones
11 Muffle furnace
12 Oven
13 Stirring rods
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14 Tin dishes
15 Vacuum pump
16 Weighing balance
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3.2 SAMPLES
1. Raw Sewage (Influent)
2. Treated Sewage (Effluent)
3. Aeration Tank Wastewater (Activated Sludge)
3.3 EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS
1. The individual samples were mixed thoroughly and filled respectively into the labelled
Imhoff cones that have been marked to 1-little.
Figure 3.3.1: Imhoff cones that contain of samples

2. The samples were left for 45 minutes duration to settle. Any solids that have clung to
the sides was dislodged carefully by using a stirring rod.
3. Then, the samples were left for 15 minutes duration to settle again. The volume of
settleable solids were being recorded. When large pockets of liquid being formed
between settled matter particles, the estimated volume was subtracted from the
measured volume of matter.
3.4 EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE

SOLIDS AND FIXED SOLIDS
1. The tare (empty) weights of properly prepared porcelain evaporating dish were obtained
for the experiment.
2. The samples were mixed thoroughly and then, approximately 500 mL of samples (for
Part B and C) of each sample was transferred into beakers. The samples in each beaker
were stirred immediately.
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3. 25 mL of samples were measured using the graduated cylinders. The exact volume was
recorded quickly, and each sample was poured into a dish. The cylinder was rinsed
using very little amount of distilled water, adding rinsing to the dish.
4. All pertinent details were recorded: the dishes were labelled according to the sample
sources. 5. The dishes were put in the 103 -105 °C oven for drying overnight. No
writing was left on the crucibles as high temperature during the next steps will burn it
off.
Figure 3.3.2: The dishes were dried in oven for overnight

5. After drying, the dishes were transferred to a desiccator and the gross weights of the
dishes were obtained. The total solids were calculated in mg/L values.
6. The dishes containing the dried total solids were placed in a muffle furnace. After that,
the samples were fired at 550 °C for one hour. The furnace was allowed to cool
significantly before the dishes were removed to a desiccator.
7. The dishes were re-weighed after reaching room temperature. Lastly, the fixed and
volatile solids were calculated in terms of mg/L.
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3.5 Experiment C: Suspended Solids – Total and Volatile
1. The tare weights of three aluminium dishes each containing a glass fibre filter were
obtained.
2. Filtering apparatus was assembled. Then, the filter was positioned, and suction began.
The filter was wet with a small volume of distilled water to seat it.
3. Samples poured for Part B was used for consistency, the beaker contents were stirred
and then 50 mL of influent, 10 mL of aeration tank wastewater and 75 mL for effluent
was measured rapidly so that it did not settle. [Hint: small portions (10 mL of influent,
5 mL of aeration tank wastewater and 25 mL for the effluent) of well mixed sample was
poured out and entire portion was filtered before pouring another portion. The total
volume filtered was recorded]. The graduated cylinder was rinsed with small amounts
of distilled water and added to filter.
Figure 3.3.3: The mixed sample were filtered

4. Filter was removed carefully from filtration apparatus and transferred it back to the
aluminium dish. Sides of dish was pinched in a bit to protect the filter from oven drafts.
Then, the aluminium dish was placed into the 103 ℃ oven to dry for at least one hour
(leave drying overnight).
5. Dish was transferred to desiccator, cooled, and weighed. The total suspended solids
were calculated in terms of mg/L.
6. The aluminium dish and filter holding the suspended solids were fired in a muffle
furnace at 550 ℃ for at least 15 minutes or until constant weight. After firing, the
dishes were cooled completely before reweighing them to determine the loss on ignition
or volatile suspended solids in terms of mg/L.
7. From the above determinations, a value for the dissolved suspended solids were
obtained and recorded.
8.
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CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS

RESULT
Table 4.1.1: Volume of settleable solids in different samples.
Samples Influent Effluent Activated Sludge
Volume of samples
1 1 1
(L)
Volume of
settleable solids 230 136 87
(mL)
Percentage of
settleable solids 23.0 13.6 8.7
(%)
Percentage
reduction of
40.87
settleable solids
(%)
DISCUSSION
Observing the Table 4.1.1, the Raw sewage (influent) consist of the largest amount of
settleable solids followed by Treated sewage (effluent) and lastly, Aeration tank wastewater
(Activated sludge). Aeration tank wastewater (Activated sludge) has the lowest volume of
settleable solids because it has gone through the cleaning process uses which uses highly
concentrated microorganisms to degrade organics and remove nutrients from wastewater,
producing quality effluent. 90% of the solids will be removed before processing it into the
tertiary treatment in the wastewater treatment plant which removes inorganic compounds,
bacteria, viruses, and parasites to ensure the treated water safe to reuse, recycle, or release into
the environment (Wastewater Digest, 2021). On the other hand, influent contains the most
volume of settleable solids because it has high amounts of sediments. However, the effluent
contains significantly less volume of settleable solids compared to influent because it has been
treated with activated sludge. This is proven by the 40.87% reduction in settleable solids. Thus,
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we can conclude that a more impure water sample will contain more sediment that will lead to
high amounts of settleable solids.

SOLIDS
RESULT
Table 4.2.1: Weight of sample and crucible under different stages of testing.
Activated
Samples Influent Effluent
Sludge
Weight of porcelain
10 10 10
evaporating dish (g)
Volume of samples in
graduated cylinders 25 25 25
(mL)
Weight of dish after
drying in oven (dish 20.5 19.6 15.7
+ solids) (g)
Weight of dish after firing in
muffle furnace (dish + solids) 19.2 18.5 14.9
(g)
Table 4.2.2: Total solids, fixed solids and volatile solids in different samples.
Types of sample Influent Effluent Activated Sludge
Total solids (mg/L) 420000 384000 228000
Fixed solids (mg/L) 368000 340000 196000

Volatile solids
52000 44000 32000
(mg/L)
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Table 4.2.3: Percentage reduction from influent to effluent for Experiment B.
Percentage reduction from influent to effluent
Solids
(%)
Total Solids 8.57
Total Volatile Solids 15.38
Fixed Solids 7.61
DISCUSSION
The aim of experiment B is to determine the total solids contained in the wastewater
samples based on the volume measured which consist of the combination of the fixed solids
and volatile solids. The experiment is done by measuring and transferring 25 mL of each
wastewater samples into the porcelain evaporating pot and heating it in the oven at 105⁰C with
a duration of 24 hours and then cooling it firing it in the muffle furnace at 500⁰C with a
duration of 45 minutes. The porcelain evaporating dish with and without the wastewater
sample is weighed and measured to allow the ease in tabulating and calculating the required
values for concentration of total solids, fixed solids, and volatile solids. Total solids (TS) are a
measurement often used in the water treatment industry that includes the combination of total
dissolved solids and total suspended solids in a liquid. Total solids are composed of all the
suspended, colloidal, and dissolved solids in the sample (Corrosionpedia, 2019). From Table
4.2.2 above, it is shown that influent has the largest concentration of total solids which is
420000 mg/L followed by 384000 mg/L total solids in effluent and 228000 mg/L total solids in
activated sludge. This is because influent consists of the high concentration of contaminants
and sediments as compared to effluent and activated sludge, resulting in a large amount of total
solids deposited on porcelain evaporating dish after heating in oven. Similarly, we can observe
that both volatile solids and fixed solids exhibit an increasing trend from activated sludge to
influent where influent remains at all-time high. Table 4.2.3 shows the percentage reduction
from influent to effluent. The total solids show 8.57% reduction, 15.38% reduction of total
volatile solids and 7.61% reduction of fixed solids from influent to effluent. Hence, we can
prove that activated sludge process has managed to treat the sewage and produce a better
quality of effluent.
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EXPERIMENT C: SUSPENDED SOLIDS – TOTAL AND VOLATILE SOLIDS
To obtain a more better result comparison, the value of the volume of samples in
graduated cylinders for Experiment B is 25 mL is normalized to volume of samples in
graduated cylinders for Experiment C is 75 mL to obtain Total Solids for Experiment C.
Table 4.3.1: Total Solid for Experiment B When Volume of samples in graduated cylinders =
25 mL (before normalized)
Activated
Sludge
Weight of porcelain
10 10 10
Volume of samples in
graduated cylinders 25 25 25
(mL)
Weight of dish after
drying in oven (dish 20.5 19.6 15.7
+ solids) (g)
Total solids (g) 10.5 9.6 5.7
Table 4.3.2: Total Solid for Experiment B When Volume of samples in graduated cylinders =
75 mL (after normalized)
Activated
Sludge
Weight of porcelain
10 10 10
Volume of
samples in
75 75 75
graduated
cylinders (mL)
Weight of dish after 61.5 58.8 47.1
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drying in oven (dish
+ solids) (g)
Total Solids in (g) 31.5 28.8 17.1
Table 4.3.3: Weight of sample and aluminium dish under different stages of testing (before
normalization).

Weight of
aluminium dish and 7 7 7
glass fibre filter (g)
Volume of samples
prior to filtration 50 75 10
(mL)
Volume of filtrate
40 65 9
(mL)
Weight of dish
after drying in
oven (dish + glass 13.6 12 7.9
fibre filter +
filtered solids) (g)
Weight of dish
after firing in
muffle furnace
11.9 11.5 7.1
(dish + glass fibre
filter + filtered
solids) (g)
Table 4.3.4: Total suspended solids, fixed dissolved solids and volatile dissolved solids in
different samples (before normalization).
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Total suspended
132000 66666.7 90000
solids (mg/L)
Fixed suspended
98000 60000 10000
solids (mg/L)
Volatile suspended
34000 6666.67 80000
solids (mg/L)
Table 4.3.5: Weight of sample and aluminium dish under different stages of testing (after
normalization).

Weight of
aluminium dish and 7 7 7
glass fibre filter (g)
Volume of samples
prior to filtration 75 75 75
(mL)
Volume of filtrate
60 65 67.5
(mL)
Weight of dish
after drying in
oven (dish + glass 20.4 12 59.25
fibre filter +
filtered solids) (g)
Weight of dish
after firing in
muffle furnace
17.85 11.5 53.25
(dish + glass fibre
filter + filtered
solids) (g)
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Table 4.3.6: Total suspended solids, fixed dissolved solids and volatile dissolved solids in
different samples (after normalization).

Total suspended
178666.67 66666.7 696666.67
solids (mg/L)
Fixed suspended
144666.67 60000 616666.67
solids (mg/L)
Volatile suspended
34000 6666.67 84000
solids (mg/L)
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Table 4.3.7: Total dissolved solids, fixed dissolved solids and volatile dissolved solids in
different samples.

Total dissolved
241333.3 317333.3 -468666.67
solids (mg/L)
Fixed dissolved
223333.33 280000 -420666.67
solids (mg/L)
Volatile dissolved
18000 37333.33 -52000
solids (mg/L)
Table 4.3.10: Percentage reduction of suspended solids for Experiment C

Percentage Reduction from influent to
Solids
effluent (%)
Total Suspended Solids 62.7
Fixed Suspended Solids 58.53
Volatile Suspended Solids 80.4
Dissolved Solids 31.5
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DISCUSSION
The aim of experiment C is to determine the total suspended solids, fixed suspended
solids and volatile suspended solids contained in the wastewater sample based on the volume
measured and to and to determine the quality of collected water samples. Total volatile
suspended solids are organic solids and will volatize after being heated at 550℃ for an hour,
whereas total fixed suspended solids that is inorganic will remain after heating. Meanwhile,
dissolved solids are solids dissolved in water that can pass through a filter.
From Table 4.4.6 above, it is observed that the activated sludge contains the largest
concentration of total suspended solids in comparison to influent and effluent. This may be due
to one of two conditions: either individual particles that will not settle are discharged or the
sludge blanket in the clarifier washes out. It may also be cause by improper aeration in the
system which increases the (BOD) demand (Troubleshooting Activated Sludge Process, n.d.).
Similarly, both volatile and fixed suspended solids also exhibit a similar trend where the
amount of volatile and fixed suspended solids increases from influent to effluent and having
the highest concentration in activated sludge. Volatile suspended solids are higher in activated
sludge due to the bacteria present in the activated sludge producing organic compounds.
Likewise, the high concentration of fixed suspended solids in activated sludge is coherent to
the total suspended solids in activated sludge.
As for the Total dissolved solids, it is observed that in the activated sludge it exhibits a
negative concentration value. This may be due to some human errors such as the wastewater
sample in beaker is not being stirred well before pouring despite assuming a homogenous
concentration which results in different amount of total solid present in the water samples of
Experiment B and Experiment C.
As for the percentage reduction of suspended solids, we observed that 62.7% reduction
of total suspended solids, 58.53% reduction of fixed suspended solids and 80.4% reduction of
volatile suspended solids from influent to effluent. Thus, exemplifying the efficiency of
activated sludge producing a better quality of effluent. However, it is observed that the
percentage reduction of dissolved solids may have a slight deviation because the amount of
dissolved solids in effluent is higher compared to influent which possibly may be due to some
human error during the experiment or unprocessed solids being carried forward to the effluent
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causing a large clump of solids to stick together which results in the effluent sample to consist
of higher amount of solid during the experiment.
CHAPTER 5: REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What major types of solids are removed in primary treatment and secondary treatment
respectively?
Figure 5.1: Primary and Secondary Treatment Process
In primary treatment, large, floating or even very dense solids are removed or more
specifically settleable solid and suspended solid. Large and dense solid includes leaves,
floating logs, rocks, sand, and even fine suspended solids called small colloidal particles.
First, a screening process occurs, whereby the wastewater is passed through “metal bars”
with small and specific width. This is to remove extremely large waste such as logs, cans,
and large rocks. Next comes the comminutors, where large waste that managed to pass
through the screening process is broken down into smaller pieces by revolving cutting bars.
The grit chamber comes next, where dense or heavy waste is forced to settle by using
aerated methods or vortex method. Grit chambers are long narrow tanks that are designed
to slow down the flow so that solids such as sand, coffee grounds, and eggshells will settle
out of the water. Next comes equalization basin where the flow rate of the wastewater is
equalized and slowed down for the next process, coagulation, and flocculation. In this
process, removal of colloidal particles from wastewater are prioterized, this is the process
where small colloidal particles are coagulated and further flocculated into larger particles
so that sedimentation can be carried out. Suspended solids that pass-through screens and
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grit chambers are removed from the sewage in sedimentation tanks. These tanks, also called
primary clarifiers, provide about two hours of detention time for gravity settling to take
place. As the sewage flows through them slowly, the solids gradually sink to the bottom.
The settled solids known as raw or primary sludge are moved along the tank bottom by
mechanical scrapers. Sludge is collected in a hopper, where it is pumped out for removal.
Mechanical surface-skimming devices remove grease and other floating materials.
In secondary treatment, organic solids or biodegradable colloidal particles are being

removed or more specifically dissolved, suspended or volatile solids. This is done by using
biological treatment such as activated sludge, here the metabolism of the microorganism in
the activated sludge will consume any remaining tiny organic matter remaining in the
wastewater. Secondary treatment removes the soluble organic matter that escapes primary
treatment. It also removes more of the suspended solids. Removal is usually accomplished
by biological processes in which microbes consume the organic impurities as food,
converting them into carbon dioxide, water, and energy for their own growth and
reproduction. Removal of soluble organic matter at the treatment plant helps to protect the
dissolved oxygen balance of a receiving stream, river, or lake.
2.
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2. Why must residue samples be brought to ambient temperature before weighing?
Figure 5.2: Convection currents caused by heat
To prevent errors in weight measurement. When the samples are hot, multiple factors
arises to cause error in the mass reading, one of which is the convection current occurring
around the heated samples causing imbalance in weight distribution and thus fluctuation in
mass reading. When the samples are warm or hot, they will be surrounded by cooler air that
tend to create small air current to replace the hot air rising with the cold air moving in, then
the air will cool down and falls. This convection current will give the result of unsteady
mass reading. Although the fluctuation might be small, it can possibly make the results
obtained to be not reliable anymore. Secondly, it might heat up the weighing machine’s
metal pan causing it to expand and slight shift in mass, thus causing error in reading and
damaging the machine.
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3. Using your data and assuming that the flowrate going into the treatment plant is 10 x
10^6 L/day, home many kg/day of suspended solids are in the raw influent?
Volume of samples prior to filtration = 50 mL

Weight of dish after drying in oven = 13.6 g
Weight of aluminium dish and and glass fibre filter = 7g
Suspended solids in raw influent: -
Weight of dish after drying∈oven−Weight of aluminium dish∧glass fibre filter

¿ filtration ¿
Volume of samples prior ¿
1000 mg
(13.6 g−7 g ) ×
1g mg
¿ ¿ 132 000 For a day , the amount of suspended solids∈kg
1L L
50 mL ×
1000 mL
132000 mg 10 ×106 L 1 kg kg kg
¿ × × 6 ¿ 1 320000 ¿ 1.32× 106
L day 10 mg day day
⸫ Hence, 1.32 x 106 kg of suspended solids are in the raw influent per day.
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4. Assuming that the wastewater treatment plant has a primary sedimentation tank. If 60%
of the raw influent TSS is removed during primary sedimentation, find the volume of
primary sludge produced. Assume that the specific gravity of fixed solids is 2.5 and
volatile solids is 1.0.
For primary sedimentation,

60% of raw influent total suspended solid (TSS) is removed
SGfixed solid = 2.5
SGvolatile solid = 1.0
TSS (from calculation in experiment Part C) = 132 000 mg/L
Volume of primary sludge produced: ?
60 mg mg
60% raw influent TSS removed ¿ ×132 000 =79 200
100 L L
Volume of sludge is dependent on two components which are its water and solid
content, in which the solid content is a function of fixed and volatile solids. Hence, the
specific gravity for all solid matter can be equated by the formula: -
MS Mf Mv
= +
S S ρw S f ρw S v ρ w
In which,
Ms = Mass of solids (kg)
Ss = Overall specific gravity of solids
ρw = Density of water (kg/m3)
Mf = Mass of fixed solids (kg)
Sf = Specific gravity of fixed solids
Mv = Mass of volatile solids (kg)
Sv = Specific gravity of volatile solids
Obtained from calculations in experiment Part C,

Fixed suspended solids = 98 000 mg/L
Volatile suspended solids = 34 000 mg/L
Total suspended solids = 132 000 mg/L
30 | P a g e
98 000 mg/L
Percentage of fixed suspended solids: ×100 %=74.24 %
132000 mg/ L
34 000 mg/L
Percentage of volatile suspended solids: ×100 %=25.76 %
132000 mg/ L
Based on the calculation, 74.24% of the solid matter is fixed suspended solids at
specific gravity of 2.5, while another fraction which is 25.76 % of the solid matter is
volatile suspended solids at specific gravity of 1.0. In fraction, the fraction of fixed
suspended solids is 0.7424, while for the volatile suspended solids is 0.2576. To
calculate the overall specific gravity, the equation below is utilized: -
1 0.7424 0.2576
= + S =1.8032
Ss 2.5 1.0 s
To determine the percentage of solids and water in primary sludge, from raw data in
experiment Part C,
Volume of samples prior to filtration = 10 mL

Volume of filtrate (water) = 9 mL
Volume of sample−Volume of filtrate

Percentage of solids∈sludge= ×100 %
Volume of sample
10−9 Volume of filtrate

¿ ×100 %=10 %Percentage of water ∈ sludge= × 100 %
10 Volume of sample
9
¿ ×100 %=90 %
10
31 | P a g e
In fraction,
Fraction of solids in primary sludge = 0.1
Fraction of water in primary sludge = 0.9
By using the equation to calculate the overall specific gravity of the sludge,
1 0.1 0.90
= +
S sl 1.8032 1.0
Ssl =0.9555
To calculate the volume of primary sludge,

Ms
Volume of sludge=
ρw S sl P s
Where,
Ms = Mass of solids (kg)
ρw = Density of water (kg/m3)
Ssl = Specific gravity of sludge
Ps = Fraction of solids in sludge
Ms (7.9−7)/1000 −6 3
Volume of sludge= = =9.4192× 10 m ¿ 9.4192 cm3
ρw S sl P s ( 1000 ) ( 0.9555 ) ( 0.1 )
⸫ Hence, the volume of primary sludge produced is 9.4192 cm3
32 | P a g e
5. A raw sewage goes through an anaerobic digestion process, where the volatile solids
are reduced from 65% to 40%. If all of the volatile solids reduced is given off as gas
and if the specific gravity of the volatile solids is 1.3 and fixed solids is 2.5, what is the
percentage reduction in solids volume?
For anaerobic digestion,

Volatile solids are reduced from 65% to 40%
SGvolatile solids = 1.3
SGfixed solids = 2.5
From calculation in experiment Part C,
Volatile suspended solids = 34 000 mg/L
Since volatile solids are reduced from 65% to 40%, for when the percentage of volatile
solids is 65%: -
65 mg mg
65 % of volatile solids= × 34 000 =22 100
100 L L
mg
¿ question 4 , raw influent total suspended solids=79 200
L
mg mg mg
¿ suspended solids=79 200 −22 100 =57 100
L L L
57 100
Fraction of ¿ solids∈total solids= =0.72
79 200
22 100
Fraction of volatile solids∈total solids= =0.28
79 200
1 0.72 0.28
Specific gravity of solid = = + S =1.99
S g 2.5 1.3 g
1 mass flow rate 79 200

Volume of solids= = = V =0.025 m 3
V solid S g ρw ( 1.99 ) (1000) solid
For when the percentage of volatile solids is 40%: -
33 | P a g e
40 mg mg
40 % of volatile solids= ×34 000 =13 600
100 L L
mg
¿ question 4 , raw influent total suspended solids=79 200
L
mg mg mg
¿ suspended solids=79 200 −13 600 =65 600
L L L
65 600
Fraction of ¿ solids∈total solids= =0.83
79 200
13 600
Fraction of volatile solids∈total solids= =0.17
79 200
1 0.83 0.17
Specific gravity of solid = = + S =2.16
S g 2.5 1.3 g
1 mass flow rate 79 200

Volume of solids= = = V =0.027 m 3
V solid S g ρw ( 2.16 ) (1000) solid
To calculate the percentage of reduction in solids volume,
Percentage of reduction= | Final volume−Initial

Final volume
volume
|× 100 %
Percentage of reduction= |0.027−0.025
0.027 |×100 %Percentage of reduction=7.4 %
⸫ Hence, the percentage of volatile solids are reduced by 8% in anaerobic digestion
process.
34 | P a g e
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION
In this lab report, the experiments were divided into three parts which are Experiment
A, Experiment B and Experiment C with specific objectives of study. Firstly, Experiment A
aimed to study the percentage reduction of settleable solids meanwhile Experiment B aimed to
study the reduction from influent to effluent for total solids, total volatile solids, and fixed
solids. Lastly, Experiment C aimed to determine the total suspended solids, fixed suspended
solids and volatile suspended solids contained in the wastewater sample. In these three
experiments, raw sewage (influent), treated sewage (effluent) and aeration tank wastewater
(activated sludge) were used as the three samples.
In Experiment A, 1 litre of influent, effluent and activated sludge were used as the three
samples. According to the results obtained, influent has the highest volume of settleable solids
which was 230 mL followed by effluent with 136 mL and lastly, activated sludge with 87 mL.
Due to that, the highest percentage of settleable matter obtained was 23.0% for influent, 13.6%
for effluent and the least was 8.7% for activated sludge. In this experiment where the volume of
settleable solids were measured and observed for all three of the samples, the percentage
reduction of settleable solids calculated was 40.87% that proved a high amount of impure water
sample contained more sediment has led to high amounts of settleable solids. However, the
percentage reduction of settleable solids was lower than 50% hence, it can be concluded that
the wastewater treatment has a lower efficiency to reduce settleable solids from influent to
effluent.
Experiment B was conducted to determine the total solids and total volatile solids and
fixed solids. In Table 4.2.1, the weight of porcelain evaporating dish and volume of samples in
graduated cylinders were kept at 10g and 25mL respectively for all samples. However, the
weight of both dish after firing in muffle furnace (dish + solids) and after firing drying in oven
(dish + solids) for influent were the highest than effluent and activated sludge. Hence, resulting
in a higher total solids, fixed solids and volatile solids for influent followed by effluent and
activated sludge. This is due to the high concentration of contaminants and sediments in the
samples. In Table 4.2.2, the concentration for total solids was the highest for influent was
420000 mg/L, followed by effluent with 384000 mg/L and the least was activated sludge with
228000 mg/L. Lastly, the percentage reduction from influent to effluent for total volatile solids
35 | P a g e
is the highest with 15.38% followed by total solids with 8.57% and fixed solids of 7.61%
which has proved that activated sludge has high efficiency to treat the impurities.
In Experiment C, the concentration of solid for water samples are assumed to be same
as the one in Experiment B where several trials were conducted to study the results before
being normalised and after being normalised as shown in the Results and Discussion section.
Before normalized, the volume of samples in graduated cylinders were 25 mL for all samples.
This resulting in the higher total solids for influent which was 10.5 g followed by effluent with
9.6 g and activated sludge with 5.7 g. After normalising all the volume of samples in graduated
cylinders to 75 mL, it is found that the total solids for influent was still the highest, followed by
effluent and activated sludge with 31.5 g, 28.8 g and 17.1 g respectively. Lastly, the percentage
reduction of volatile suspended solids was the highest with 80.4%, followed by total suspended
solids which was 62.7%, and fixed suspended solids which was 58.53%. The least was
dissolved solids with 31.5% only.
Overall, it can be concluded that the aim of experiment was to study the effectiveness
of wastewater treatment and it was conducted using influent, effluent and activated sludge. In
all experiments, the percentage reduction calculated using the formula were all below 50%
which proved that the wastewater treatment process was not effective and efficient. Also, the
wastewater was not safe to be recycled and utilized as water source in daily life for the daily
routine consumption. The results tabulated has a small inaccuracy due to several errors
happened during the experiment. A few recommendations could be taken into consideration to
improve the experiment in laboratory scale. Firstly, the samples taken for influent, effluent and
activated sludge should be kept at the optimum temperature approximately between 3℃ to 5℃
. This is to ensure the samples does not freeze at lower temperature or destroyed at higher
temperature. Also, the range of temperature will prevent any active biological activity from
changing the properties of the sample. Lastly, the experiment should be washed and cleaned
thoroughly with distilled water to prevent any impurities left on the surface. This could prevent
any errors when taking the reading of samples to be recorded.
36 | P a g e
REFERENCES
Anas Maghayreh. (2015). Lab 1 solid determination. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from
Slideshare.net website: https://www.slideshare.net/anasmaghayreh/lab-1-solid-
determination
Corrosionpedia. (2019, September 12). Volatile Solids.
https://www.corrosionpedia.com/definition/1154/volatile-solids
Tutorial Tips Civil. (2020, October 27). Different Methods of Wastewater Treatment - Water
Treatment Project. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from Tutorials Tips website:
https://tutorialstipscivil.com/civil-topics/waste-water-treatment-plant-method/
Understanding water quality. (2020). Retrieved October 25, 2021, from OpenLearn website:
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-environment/environmental-
studies/understanding-water-quality/content-section-5.1
US EPA, Office of Water. (2012). 5.8 Total Solids | Monitoring & Assessment | US EPA.
Retrieved October 6, 2021, from Epa.gov website:
https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/html/vms58.html
Wastewater Treatment Water Use. (2018). Retrieved October 25, 2021, from Usgs.gov
website: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/wastewater-
treatment-water-use?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
Wastewater treatment - Sewerage systems | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica.
Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/wastewater-treatment/Sewerage-
systems
What is Suspended Solids? - The Laboratory People. (2019, October 14). Retrieved October
25, 2021, from The Laboratory People website: https://camblab.info/what-is-suspended-
solids/
What is Total Suspended Solids (TSS)? (2021, April 16). Retrieved October 25, 2021, from
Water & Wastes Digest website: https://www.wwdmag.com/suspended-solids-
monitors/what-total-suspended-solids-tss
37 | P a g e
What is Activated Sludge? (2021, June 17). Water & Wastes Digest.
https://www.wwdmag.com/sludge-dewatering/what-activated-sludge
Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater | Methods and Process - AOS. (2018, September 28). AOS
Treatment Solutions. https://aosts.com/tertiary-treatment-of-wastewater-process-
methods/#:%7E:text=Tertiary%20water%20treatment%20is%20the,or%20release
%20into%20the%20environment.
38 | P a g e
APPENDICES
EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS
CALCULATIONS FOR PERCENTAGE OF SETTLEABLE MATTER:

(i) Influent
230 mL
Percentage of settleable matter × 100 %=23.0 %
1000 mL
(ii) Effluent
136 mL
1000 mL
(iii) Activated Sludge
87 mL
1000 mL
CALCULATION FOR PERCENTAGE REDUCTION IN SETTLEABLE MATTER

FROM INFLUENT TO EFFLUENT:
Percentage of reduction in settleable matter
Volume of settleable solids∈influent−Volume of settleable solids∈effluent
¿ × 100 %
Volume of settleable solids ∈influent
230−136
¿ ×100 %
230
¿ 40.87 %
39 | P a g e
SOLIDS
CALCULATIONS FOR TOTAL SOLIDS:

i. Influent
weight of dish after drying∈oven(dish+ solids)−Weight of porcelainevaporating
¿
Volume of sample ∈graduated cylinder
1000 mg
(20.5 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 420000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿
1000 mg
(19.6 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 384000 mg/ L
iii. Activated Sludge

¿
1000 mg
(15.7 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 228000 mg/ L
40 | P a g e
41 | P a g e
CALCULATIONS FOR FIXED SOLIDS:
i. Influent
Weight of dish after firing ∈muffle furnace(dish+ solids)−Weight of porcelainevaporating
¿
1000 mg
(19.2 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 368000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿
1000 mg
(18.5 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 340000 mg/ L

¿
1000 mg
(14.9 g−10 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 196000 mg/ L
42 | P a g e
43 | P a g e
CALCULATIONS FOR VOLATILE SOLIDS:
i. Influent
weight of dish after drying∈oven( dish+ solids)−Weight of dish after firing∈muffle furnace( dish+ sol
¿
Volume of sample∈ graduated cylinder
1000 mg
(20.5 g−19.2 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 52000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿
1000 mg
(19.6 g−18.5 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 44000 mg/ L

¿
1000 mg
(15.7 g−14.9 g)×
1g
¿
1L
25 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 32000 mg/ L
44 | P a g e
45 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF PERCENTAGE REDUCTION FROM EFFLUENT TO
INFLUENT:
i. Total solids
Total solids ∈influent−Total solids∈effluent

¿ × 100 %
Total solids ∈influent
420000−384000
¿ ×100 %
420000
¿ 8.57 %
ii. Total Volatile solids
Total Volatile solids ∈influent −Total Volatile solids ∈effluent

¿ ×100 %
Total solids∈influent
52000−44000
¿ ×100 %
52000
¿ 15.38 %
iii. Fixed solids
¿ Total ¿ solids∈influent−Total ¿ solids∈effluent ¿ ×100 %

368000−340000
¿ × 100 %
368000
¿ 7.61 %
46 | P a g e
47 | P a g e
EXPERIMENT C: SUSPENDED SOLIDS – TOTAL AND VOLATILE
CALCULATIONS OF WEIGHT OF DISH AFTER DRYING IN OVEN (DISH +

SOLIDS).
Since 25 mL of volume of samples in graduated cylinder (before normalized) leads to W of
weight of dish after drying in oven (dish + solids), hence for 75mL, the weight of dish after
drying in oven will be W multiply with 3
i. Influent
Weight of dish after drying in oven (dish + solids) = 13.6 x 3 = 40.8g
ii. Effluent
CALCULATIONS OF TOTAL SOLIDS FOR 75ML OF VOLUME OF SAMPLES IN

GRADUATED CYLINDERS:
i. Influent
Since the total solids for 25 mL of volume of samples in graduated cylinder is 10.5g,
hence for 75mL, the total solids = w
10.5 g w
=
25 mL 75 mL
w = Total Solids for 75 mL of volume of samples = 31.5g
ii. Effluent
9.6 g w
=
25 mL 75 mL

5.7 g w
=
25 mL 75 mL
48 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF SUSPENDED SOLIDS (BEFORE NORMALIZATION):
i. Influent
¿ filtration ¿
Volume of sample prior ¿
1000 mg
(13.6 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
50 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 132000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿ filtration ¿
1000 mg
(12 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 66666.67 mg/ L

¿ filtration ¿
1000 mg
(7.9 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
10 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 90000 mg/ L
49 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF FIXED SUSPENDED SOLIDS (BEFORE NORMALIZATION):
i. Influent
Weight of dish after firing ∈muffle furnace(dish+ solids)−Weight of aluminium dish∧glass fibre filter
¿
Volume of sample∈ prior ¿
1000 mg
(11.9 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
50 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 98000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿ filtrati
1000 mg
(11.5 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 60000 mg/ L

¿ filtrati
1000 mg
(7.1 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
10 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 10000 mg/ L
50 | P a g e
51 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF VOLATILE SUSPENDED SOLIDS (BEFORE
NORMALIZATION):
i. Influent
weight of dish after drying∈oven(dish+ solids)−Weight of dish after firing ∈muffle furnace(dish+ sol
¿
1000 mg
(13.6 g−11.9 g) ×
1g
¿
1L
50 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 34000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿
1000 mg
(12 g−11.5 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 6666.67 mg/ L
Activated Sludge
¿
1000 mg
(7.9 g−7.1 g)×
1g
¿
1L
10 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 80000 mg/ L
52 | P a g e
53 | P a g e
CALCULATIONS FOR NORMALIZING THE VOLUME OF FILTRATE:
** Since for effluent stream, the volume of samples prior to filtration is at 75 mL already,
hence it is not needed to normalize the data for effluent.
i. Influent
40 mL volume of filtrate
=
50 mL 75 mL
Normalized volume of filtrate = 60mL
ii. Activated Sludge
9 mL volume of filtrate
=
10 mL 75 mL
Normalized volume of filtrate = 67.5mL
CALCULATION FOR NORMALIZATION WEIGHT OF DISH AFTER DRYING IN

OVEN:
i. Influent
13.6 g weight of dish after drying∈oven

=
50 mL 75 mL
Normalized weight of dish = 20.4g
7.9 g weight of dishafter drying∈oven

=
10 mL 75 mL
54 | P a g e
CALCULATION FOR NORMALIZATION WEIGHT OF DISH AFTER FIRING IN
MUFFLE FURNACE:
i. Influent
11.9 g weight of dishafter firing ∈muffle furnace

=
50 mL 75 mL
Normalize weight of dish = 17.85g
7.1 g weight of dishafter firing ∈muffle furnace

=
10 mL 75 mL
55 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF SUSPENDED SOLIDS (AFTER NORMALIZATIONS):
i. Influent
¿ filtration ¿
1000 mg
(20.4 g−7 g) ×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 178666.67 mg / L
ii. Effluent
¿ filtration ¿
1000 mg
(12 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 66666.67 mg/ L

¿ filtration ¿
1000 mg
(59.25 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 696666.67 mg/ L
56 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF FIXED SUSPENDED SOLIDS (AFTER NORMALIZATION):
i. Influent
¿ filtrati
1000 mg
(17.85 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 144666.67 mg / L
ii. Effluent
¿ filtrati
1000 mg
(12 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 66666.67 mg/ L

¿ filtrati
1000 mg
(53.25 g−7 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 616666.67 mg/ L
57 | P a g e
58 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF VOLATILE SUSPENDED SOLIDS (AFTER
NORMALIZATION):
i. Influent
¿
1000 mg
(20.4 g−17.85 g) ×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 34000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
¿
1000 mg
(12 g−11.5 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 6666.67 mg/ L

¿
1000 mg
(59.25 g−53.25 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 80000 mg/ L
59 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF TOTAL SOLIDS:
i. Influent
1000 mg
(31.5 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 420000 mg/ L
ii. Effluent
1000 mg
(28.8 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 384000 mg/ L

1000 mg
(17.1 g)×
1g
¿
1L
75 ml ×
1000 mL
¿ 228000 mg/ L
CALCULATIONS FOR DISSOLVED SOLIDS:

i) Influent
Total Dissolved solids = Total Solids – Suspended Solids
= 420000 – 178666.67 = 241333.33mg/L
ii) Effluent
= 384000 – 66666.67 = 317333mg/L
iii) Activated Sludge
= 228000 – 696666.67 = - 468666.67 mg/L
60 | P a g e
61 | P a g e
CALCULATION OF PERCENTAGE REDUCTION FROM EFFLUENT TO
INFLUENT
i. Total Suspended solids
Total suspended solids∈influent−Total solids ∈effluent

¿ ×100 %
178666−66666.67
¿ ×100 %
178666
¿ 62.7 %
ii. Suspended Fixed solids
¿ Suspended ¿ solids∈influent−Suspended ¿ solids∈effluent ¿ ×100 %

144666.67−6000
¿ × 100 %
144666.67
¿ 58.53 %
iii. Suspended Volatile solids
Suspended Volatile solids ∈influent −Suspended Volatile solids ∈effluent

¿ ×100 %
34000−6666.67
¿ ×100 %
34000
¿ 80.4 %
iv. Dissolved solids
Dissolved solids ∈influent−Dissolved Volatile solids∈effluent

¿ × 100 %
241333.33−317333
¿ × 100 %
241333.33
¿−31.5 %
62 | P a g e

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CEB3013: ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT 01: SOLIDS DETERMINATION

Figure 1: Solid determination in wastewater treatment

In Environmental Engineering, solid determination is an important experiment that

According to Wastewater Treatment Water Use (2018), the primary purpose of

A sewerage system, also known as a wastewater collection system, is a system of pipes,

3.1 MATERIALS AND APPARATUS

1 47 mm Glass Fibre Filters

4 Distilled water bottles

6 Filter holder (funnel, clamp and base)

9 Graduated cylinders (500 mL)

3.3 EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS

Figure 3.3.1: Imhoff cones that contain of samples

3.4 EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE

Figure 3.3.2: The dishes were dried in oven for overnight

Figure 3.3.3: The mixed sample were filtered

EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS

Table 4.1.1: Volume of settleable solids in different samples.

Samples Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

EXPERIMENT B: TOTAL SOLIDS AND TOTAL VOLATILE SOLIDS AND FIXED

Types of sample Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

Total solids (mg/L) 420000 384000 228000

Fixed solids (mg/L) 368000 340000 196000

Total solids (g) 10.5 9.6 5.7

Total Solids in (g) 31.5 28.8 17.1

Samples Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

Samples Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

Types of sample Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

Types of sample Influent Effluent Activated Sludge

Table 4.3.10: Percentage reduction of suspended solids for Experiment C

CHAPTER 5: REVIEW QUESTIONS

Figure 5.1: Primary and Secondary Treatment Process

In secondary treatment, organic solids or biodegradable colloidal particles are being

Figure 5.2: Convection currents caused by heat

Volume of samples prior to filtration = 50 mL

Suspended solids in raw influent: -

Weight of dish after drying∈oven−Weight of aluminium dish∧glass fibre filter

For primary sedimentation,

Obtained from calculations in experiment Part C,

Volume of samples prior to filtration = 10 mL

Volume of sample−Volume of filtrate

10−9 Volume of filtrate

To calculate the volume of primary sludge,

⸫ Hence, the volume of primary sludge produced is 9.4192 cm3

For anaerobic digestion,

1 mass flow rate 79 200

For when the percentage of volatile solids is 40%: -

1 mass flow rate 79 200

To calculate the percentage of reduction in solids volume,

Percentage of reduction= | Final volume−Initial

Slideshare.net website: https://www.slideshare.net/anasmaghayreh/lab-1-solid-

Retrieved October 6, 2021, from Epa.gov website:

Wastewater treatment - Sewerage systems | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica.

Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/wastewater-treatment/Sewerage-

25, 2021, from The Laboratory People website: https://camblab.info/what-is-suspended-

Water & Wastes Digest website: https://www.wwdmag.com/suspended-solids-

Treatment Solutions. https://aosts.com/tertiary-treatment-of-wastewater-process-

EXPERIMENT A: SETTLEABLE SOLIDS

CALCULATIONS FOR PERCENTAGE OF SETTLEABLE MATTER: