wastewater treatment – Aquarius-Systems

Water Hyacinth Shows Promise in Removing Toxic Chromium-6

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:42:46 +0000

Heavy metal poisoning is a growing concern in many parts of the country. A new method for removing chromium-6, a highly toxic heavy metal, from waste water has been developed by a group of scientists from India and Ethiopia. They claim it to be low-cost and safe.

The new method uses water hyacinth, a weed known for its ability to spread rapidly over water bodies. It is used for cleansing polluted water bodies owing to its remarkable capacity of absorbing pollutants.

In the new study, hyacinth was made into a powder and then mixed with water containing chromium-6. The powder was allowed to settle down and after two minutes the liquid above the powder was removed and analyzed for chromium-6. It was found that chromium-6 levels decreased significantly in water.

Wastewater Treatment Does Not Remove All Chemicals From Water

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:04:10 +0000

All the things that go down the drain and end up at the waste water treatment plant are not removed there. Some of the industrial byproducts that end up in sewers, the agricultural chemicals that runoff farmland, and pharmaceuticals that pass through our bodies all can end up in our streams and lakes.

Water treatment plants do a good job of killing the viruses and bacteria that cause waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. But dealing with chemicals seems more complicated for regulators. Only recently PFAS was discovered in drinking water, but it had been there for decades. More than likely there are other chemicals not yet detected.

Scientists don’t have the research facilities and money necessary to study what the complex mixtures of chemicals do to human health.

Chicago’s Largest Wastewater Plant Tackles Phosphorus Pollution

Sat, 04 Jun 2016 16:56:22 +0000

Chicago officials boast that the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is one of the world’s largest sewer treatment plants, handling the waste of 2.3 million people.

The Stickney Water Reclamation is the biggest single source of phosphorus in the entire region that drains into the Mississippi River. Combined with other sewage plant releases a state task force concluded that these plants are responsible for about half of the phosphorus pollution in rivers that drain into the Mississippi.

The need for more aggressive and widespread action is especially acute in Illinois, which by most estimates is the largest contributor of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution to the Gulf of Mexico.

A new $31 million project will help to reduce that pollution by diverting wastewater through three reactors that use catalysts to form tiny, nutrient-rich “pearls” for the fertilizer industry. The district estimates the equipment will produce up to 10,000 tons of slow-release fertilizer a year and reduce the Stickney plant’s phosphorus discharges by about 30 percent.

More still needs to be done, but this project is a good start.

Milwaukee River Revival Shows How Urban Waterways Can Recover

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 08:20:13 +0000

Each fall, elementary school students gather along the Milwaukee River to release fingerling lake sturgeon—an act that symbolizes just how far the river has come. Once written off as polluted and lifeless, the Milwaukee River now supports more than 30 native fish species and has become a model of urban river recovery.

Decades of environmental regulations, dam removals, and more than $5 billion in water quality and infrastructure improvements—including wastewater treatment upgrades, phosphorus reductions, and the Deep Tunnel system—have transformed the river into a cleaner, healthier, and more economically valuable resource. From cold-water trout streams near its headwaters to paddling, fishing, and wildlife habitat through downtown Milwaukee, the river tells a powerful story of restoration.

Yet challenges remain. Water quality varies across the watershed, development pressures persist, and the ultimate test—whether lake sturgeon can once again reproduce naturally—has yet to be answered.