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Pollution in Wastewater: Types and Removal

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Pollution in Wastewater: Types and Removal
Pollution In Wastewater: Types and Removal

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Environmental Science

Abstract

Techniques in managing and treating wastewater are state of the art and not used in every city of The United States. Some cities still use more old fashioned sewage techniques to clean their water. There are a plethora of pollution types, but one of the most common is wastewater pollution. This directly affects our daily lives due to the fact, that water is an essential part of life. Not only is it for drinking, but it is also vital for sanitation and irrigation. There are four different types of wastewater pollutants; Debris and grit, Particulate organic material, colloidal and dissolved organic materials, dissolved inorganic materials, and all four are treated before being released into water ways.

There are a plethora of pollution types, but one of the most common is wastewater pollution. This directly affects our daily lives due to the fact, that water is an essential part of life. Not only is it for drinking, but it is also vital for sanitation and irrigation. Wastewater treatment facilities were designed to treat the outflow before entering the receiving waterways. The ideal modern system collects storm water separately from wastewater and treats it to remove all pollution, but that has become a difficult task. There are four different types of wastewater pollutants and all four are treated before being released.

The primary treatment in removing pollutants from wastewater is the removal of the first type of pollutants, debris and grit; like, plastic bags, gravel, course sand, rags, and other object disposed in toilets or washed through storm drains. These pollutants can later damage or clog pumps, so they are quickly removed after exiting the raw sewage. This removal involves two steps; screening of debris and



References: Month. (n.d.). Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/water-and-wastewater-treatment-plant-and-system-operators.htm Water Use: Wastewater treatment. (n.d.). USGS Georgia Water Science Center - Home page. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wuww.html Wright, R., & Boorse, D. (2011). environmental science: towards a sustainable future. San Francisco, CA : Pearson. (Original work published 11)

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