QUIZ NO.

1. The BOD/COD ratio is 0.71. The ratio is higher than 0.5 which means the wastes could be
treated in a biological reactor although it is slightly less than the ideal ratio. The nitrogen level
is however low at 500:10:10 or 100:2:2. The ideal nutrient level should have been 500:25:5 to
make it 100:5:1 ratio of BOD:N:P. Addition of nitrogen source such as urea will be required. 1
2. Since the BOD/COD ratio is less than ideal, a pilot test is carried out. The pilot test confirmed
the reaction will slow down once the nitrogen is used up.
3. If the BOD removal efficiency is 95 per cent, this translate to an effluent containing 5 per cent
of the influent BOD of 500 mg/l or 25 mg/l. The BOD will be within the standard. The nitrogen
will be within the standard as it was deficient in the first place. Phosphorus will not meet the
standard. 2
4. To reduce or even eliminate the addition of additional nitrogen, the Kraus process is used. The
aerobic bacteria are killed in the anaerobic digestion process and it releases the nitrogen to
the liquid medium. High rate activated sludge process could be also used. The high rate
activated sludge process depends on rapid accumulation of the BOD and subsequent
starvation or death and release of the nutrient in the aerobic digester. However, the high rate
activated sludge is prune to bulking or poor settling sludge problem. I gave full credits to those
who answered high rate activated sludge process.
5. Most got the correct answer of 2,350 kg/day of sludge produce. The most common mistake
was to take the ( So – S) at (1-0.95) So . S is the effluent is only 0.05 So such that the multiplier
is (1-0.05)So . The other common mistake was to make another assumption for So.
6. Almost everybody got the answer correctly for the fixed film reactor mechanism.
7. In theory, the depth or spacing between the plates in the inclined plate clarified has no effect
on the settling efficiency. In practice, the spacing must be sufficient to allow free flow or
removal of the settled sludge. Almost everybody got the description of the inclined plate
clarified mechanism correctly.
8. Almost everybody got the correct answer on the disadvantages of using sulphides to
precipitate heavy metals especially if the solution is acidic and the pre-treatment required if
there is no other option but to use sulphides.
9. Almost everybody got the answer on the difference between coagulation and flocculation.
Some students missed the critical design and operation differences that coagulation is rapid
mixing and flocculation is slow mixing.
10. Almost everybody got the correct answer on the importance of indoor air quality. One
common point missed is that unlike in a factory, residences often include the highly vulnerable
segment of the population which is the young, old and persons with disabilities and those
people stays almost indoor all the time.

1
For 1000 cum of wastewater, 15 kg of nitrogen is needed. This is equivalent to 32 kg of urea. The price of urea
in the wholesale market is approximately P10/kg or a cost of P320 for every 1000 cubic meter of wastewater to
be treated or P0.32 per cubic meter.
2
I gave full credit for those who gave 95 per cent removal for nitrogen and phosphorus. The BOD:N:P ratio was
obtained by analysing the bacterial cells. The average bacterial cell contains 10 per cent nitrogen and 2 per
phosphorus since the most common yield coefficient is 0.5. The 10 per cent nitrogen in bacterial cells translate
to 62.5 per cent protein although the most common value is 53 per cent. Bacterial cells have more protein than
sorghum. For this reason, there are lots of interest on using the sludge from biological wastewater treatment
for animal feed especially if the wastewater is from the food industry or psychologically accepted source unlike
sewage.
11. Almost everybody got the answer correctly that the air pollution management focus first on
avoidance, then minimization, recycling and reuse prior to treatment.