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Administrative Announcements

• Online Mini-Quizzes

– Online via Titanium. Timed, 60 minutes per mini-quiz

– Mini-quizzes #1-4 due Friday 3/8 by 11:55pm

• In-Class Quiz next week

– Covering Introduction, Topic #1 (water resources and drinking water treatment),

and Topic #2 (water pollution and wastewater treatment)

– 20 questions – true/false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blanks

– Quiz will be give an the beginning of class (20 minutes), lecture following

– NO need to bring a scantron, bluebook, etc.

• Office hour on Thursdays from 12:00-1:00pm EC 475 or by

appointment (email to schedule – [email protected])

Quick Review

The THREE most important environmental requirements to promote

healthy people/community

1. Clean AIR

2. Safe and sufficient WATER

3. Adequate and safe FOOD

Quick Review – Water Resources

Quick Review - Available Freshwater Supplies

• Surface water: All water naturally open to the atmosphere (rivers,

lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, impoundments, seas, estuaries, etc.)

• Groundwater: Supply of freshwater found beneath the earth’s surface,

usually in aquifers, which supplies wells and springs

Quick Review - Groundwater

Things to know:

- Soil Porosity

- Low Porosity =

Confining

Layer/Aquitard (clay)

- High Porosity = Aquifer

(coarse sand)

- Aquifer

- Confined Aquifer

- Unconfined Aquifer

- Water Table

- Recharge Area

- Pressure

Quick Review – OC Water Sources

Groundwater (60-75%)

Imported water

- State Water Project (NorCal)

- Colorado River Aqueduct

Quick Review – Salt Water Intrusion

Quick Review – Recycled Water

• OC Sanitation District (OCSD) provides treated sewage to OC Water

District (OCWD)

– Sewage is considered safe enough to be discharged to the ocean

• OCWD further treats water through:

1. Microfiltration

2. Reverse Osmosis

3. Ultraviolet (UV) Light with Hydrogen Peroxide

Quick Review – Recycled Water – Uses

Saltwater Intrusion Barrier & Groundwater Recharge

Quick Review - Surface Water Drinking Water Treatment

• Coagulation and Flocculation

• Sedimentation

• Filtration

• Disinfection

– Chlorine

• Chlorine residual

• Disinfection Byproducts

– Ozonation

– UV and Hydrogen Peroxide

• Storage

Quick Review - Groundwater: Purity

• Groundwater is usually cleaner and purer than most surface water sources.

• Water percolates through soil, which filters out most bacteria, suspended

materials, and other contaminants that are present in surface water.

• Groundwater does not typically need to go through the coagulation,

sedimentation, and filtration steps of the surface drinking water treatment because

groundwater has been purified by natural filtration system (through the percolation

process)

• Therefore, most groundwater is pumped out from the aquifer, disinfected with

chlorine, and distributed to residents and commercial buildings

Quick Review – Drinking Water Problems

• Dracunculiasis, Guinea Worm Disease

• Cholera

• E. coli, E. coli O157:H7

• Hot Tub Lung

• Legionella

• Cryptosporidium (Crypto), RWI, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Methemoglobinemia, Blue Baby Syndrome

• Lead in drinking water, Flint, Michigan

• Arsenic in drinking water, Bangladesh

Quick Review - Tap vs. Bottled Water

EPA regulates

drinking water from

the tap.

FDA regulates bottled

water.

Quick Review - Wastewater Treatment Process (Three Stages)

• Preliminary and Primary treatment - removes

approximately 50–65% of suspended solids through

screening and sedimentation

– Preliminary treatment

• Screens and grit chamber remove large debris

– Primary treatment

• Sedimentation tank (primary clarifier) removes

smaller solids

• Secondary treatment

– Biological processes digest organic wastes

– Removes about 90-95% of the dissolved pollutants

(nutrients)

• Accomplished by aeration basin, activated sludge or

trickling filter

• Tertiary Treatment

– Disinfection (required) – usually chlorination

– Remove remaining pollutants (nitrates, phosphates,

minerals, chemicals, etc. (optional)

Quick Review - Water Treatment

Drinking Water

1. Coagulation and

Flocculation

2. Sedimentation

3. Filtration

4. Disinfection

1. Chlorine or

2. Ozone or

3. UV

5. Storage

Waste Water

1. Preliminary Treatment

1. Screening (solids to landfill)

2. Primary Treatment

1. Sedimentation (sludge to digester)

3. Secondary Treatment

1. Activated sludge/ aeration basin (sludge

to digester)

2. Trickling filters (sludge to digester)

4. Tertiary Treatment

1. Disinfection (required)

2. Nutrient reduction (optional)

Recycled Water

1. Microfiltration

2. Reverse

Osmosis

3. UV with

Hydrogen

Peroxide

Quick Review - Septic System

Quick Review - Grease Interceptors

Found in/outside of commercial kitchens.

Prevent fats, oils, and greases from

reaching the municipal sewer system.

Must be serviced regularly.

Fats, oils, and grease in municipal sewer

system can lead to clogs (FATBERGS)

Quick Review - Sanitary Sewer vs. Storm Sewer

Quick Review - Storm Water Pollution

Trash is strewn along the sand south of the San Gabriel River in Seal Beach, CA, on Monday, Feb 4, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Quick Review – Why Treat Wastewater?

• Protect plants, fish, wildlife that depend

on water sources

• Human health concerns

• Human recreation/quality of life

• Nutrients in wastewater (nitrate and

phosphate)

– Can cause excessive growth of aquatic

plant life, including harmful algal blooms

(HAB)

– Excessive growth of aquatic plant life can

lead to depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO)

Quick review - Eutrophication

Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

Quick Review - Sources of Eutrophication

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) – Produce Toxins

• Harmful algal blooms are caused by certain type of algae (e.g., phytoplankton,

cyanobacteria)

– Phytoplankton are simple photosynthetic plants (e.g., dinoflagellates, diatoms)

– Cyanobacteria are true bacteria that have chlorophyll like algae

• Harmful algal blooms can:

– Produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals

• Neurotoxins (cause paralysis and seizure)

– Common toxins: saxitoxins, domoic acid, brevitoxin

• Hepatotoxins (liver toxins)

• Dermatoxins (irritation, rashes, skin lesions)

– Create dead zones in the water

– Affect drinking water sources

– Hurt industries that depend on clean water

Quick Review - Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

- Amount of oxygen dissolved in

water.

- Necessary for aquatic life (fish,

aquatic plant, etc.).

- Can be depleted by excessive

aquatic plant growth.

Quick Review - Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

- Indirectly measures concentration of biodegradable organic matter (nutrients)

present in water.

- When microorganisms reproduce, they use up nutrients and DO in water.

- Low BOD indicates good water quality.

- High BOD indicates polluted water quality.

BOD Test

1. Dilute sample with pure water saturated with oxygen.

2. Inoculate sample with a fixed amount of bacteria.

3. Seal sample, place in dark for five days at 20°C. 4. Measure DO.

Simplified BOD Calculation #1

Diluted

sample

water

Add known

amount of

standard bacteria

Dark

20° C 5 Days

100% DO

Diluted

sample

water

20% DO

• 80% DO was used up

(100%-20%) by bacteria

that used both DO and

nutrients in the sample

water to survive

• BOD is high, which means,

the nutrient content of the

water sample is HIGH,

indicated polluted water

Simplified BOD Calculation #2

Diluted

sample

water

Add known

amount of

standard bacteria

Dark

20° C 5 Days

100% DO

Diluted

sample

water

95% DO • 5% DO was used up (100%-

95%) by bacteria that used

both DO and nutrients in the

sample water to survive

• BOD is low, which means, the

nutrient content of the water

sample is LOW, indicating

good water quality.

BOD and DO

Questions?

Topic 3

Solid and Hazardous Wastes

Naples, Italy

Lecture Objectives

• Describe trends in the production of solid waste

• Understand the waste management hierarchy and the 3 R’s

• Discuss the role of landfills for disposing of solid waste

– Know the criteria for building and operating landfills

• Understand the RCRA and Superfund Act

• Know how contaminated soil is cleaned up

Outline

• Love Canal

• The great Pacific garbage patch

• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management

1. Source Reduction, recycling, and composting

2. Disposal methods

• Hazardous Waste

• Soil clean up (bioremediation and phytoremediation)

Love Canal

• 1890s – William T. Love, an

entrepreneur, envisioned constructing a

canal to be used for hydroelectric

power near Niagara Falls, NY.

• Began excavating canal, but

abandoned project.

• Canal was 16 acres, roughly the size of

12 football fields.

• Love Canal filled with water and was

used as a swimming hole.

Love Canal

• 1942-1953 – Hooker Electrochemical Company disposed of over

21,000 tons of hazardous chemicals in the abandoned Love Canal.

– Hooker Electrochemical Company now known as Occidental Chemical

Corporation

• Canal was drained, lined with clay, and covered with clay when

disposal ceased.

• 1950s – City of Niagara Falls experiencing a population boom. Land

needed for homes and schools.

• 1953 – Landfill covered with soil and property sold to Niagara Falls

Board of Education.

Love Canal

• Redevelopment of Love Canal

– School built adjacent to dump site (400

children)

– 800 homes and 240 apartments constructed

adjacent to dump site

– Construction activity damaged clay layers

surrounding hazardous waste

• Complaints from residents about odors,

residues, chemicals rising to the surface

Love Canal

• 1978 – Emergency declaration declared

by President Carter

– Provided federal funding for remedial work to

contain chemical wastes and assist relocation

of residents closest to Love Canal.

• 1980 – Second emergency declaration –

Love Canal Emergency Declaration Area

(EDA)

– 350 acres around the landfill

– Relocated 950 families

– Homes demolished

Love Canal

• Led to creation of Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (Superfund Law) of 1980

1980 2002

The Love Canal Disaster: Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjobz14i8kM

https://youtu.be/rxjfRSQj2sY

Three Categories of Solid Waste

Three broad categories of solid waste in the United States:

1. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

- Consists of everyday items that are commonly generated from homes and

business

2. Hazardous Waste

- Wastes with properties that make it capable of harming human health or the

environment

3. Special Waste

- A catchall category. Neither municipal solid waste nor a designated hazardous

waste.

- Includes medical waste, construction debris, asbestos, mining waste,

agricultural waste, etc.

Quantity of Solid Waste

• Each year the US produces approximately

12 billion tons of solid waste.

• That’s 24 trillion pounds of solid waste

(24,000,000,000,000 pounds).

• The Empire State Building weighs 365,000

tons.

• Equivalent to nearly 33,000 Empire State

Buildings.

12 billion tons = 32,876 Empire state buildings

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

• More commonly known as trash or garbage

• Consists of everyday items we use and then throw away, such as

product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food

scraps, newspapers, etc.

• Generated by homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses.

• US waste generation

– 1960 – 88.1 million tons per year, 2.68 pounds per person per day

– 2015 – 262.4 million tons per year

– How much are we currently generating per person per day?

• 4.48 pounds per person per day

MSW Generation Rates, 1960-2015 (EPA)

Total MSW Generated by Material, 2015 (EPA)

The Three R’s – Old Paradigm

Waste Management Hierarchy of MSW – New paradigm

1. Source Reduction and

Reuse

2. Recycling and

Composting

3. Energy Recovery

4. Treatment and

Disposal

Management of MSW in the U.S., 2015 (EPA)

MSW Management #1: Reduce

• The best and cheapest way of managing waste is not to produce them

in the first place

• Examples

– Reducing the weight of items

• Steel cans are 60% lighter than they used to be

– Designing products to last longer and be easier to repair

– Reducing paper waste via electronic communication, data transfer, the Internet

– Buy selectively

• buying only the amount of a product that will be used

• Choosing items without excessive amounts of packaging

• Buying products that have fewer toxic ingredients than comparable items used for the same

purpose

MSW Management #1: Reuse

• Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.

• Use reusable items instead of single-use items (napkins, cups) – When you do use disposables like plastic cups, plates, utensils, and plastic food

storage bags, reuse.

• Reuse by repairing the broken products rather than replacing them with new products.

• Donate the used products to charitable organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and others.

Share

• Share practical ways to “reduce” and “reuse” items. Share any hand-

me-down ideas from your parents, relatives, or friends.

https://youtu.be/jJYDD-lO8tk

MSW Management #2: Recycle

• Recycling: Using waste material to produce more of the original

product or to using waste material in something else.

• Benefits of recycling

– Resource conservation

– Energy conservation

• Recycling consumes 50-90% less

energy than manufacturing from raw material

– Pollution abatement

• Recycling scrap metal as opposed to processing iron ore reduces particulate emissions and

mining wastes.

• Keep recyclable material clean and separate from trash

Recycling by Category (2015), EPA

MSW Recycling & Composting Rates, 1960-2015 (EPA)

Plastic Recycling

• PETE (polyethylene

terephthalate): code 1

– Recycled into carpets,

jackets, film, strapping,

new PETE bottles

• HDPE (high-density

polyethylene): code 2

– Recycled into irrigation

drainage tiles, sheet

plastic, recycling bins

Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

• Some MRFs use high technology to

sort waste

– Magnets, optical sensors, air sorters

• The U.S. has more than 34 facilities

handling 43,000 tons/day

https://youtu.be/yl1auc_MluQ

https://youtu.be/vAr4BZM_Tzk

MSW Management #2: Composting

• Composting is the transformation of

organic material (plant matter)

through decomposition into a soil-

like material called compost

• Invertebrates (insects and

earthworms), and microorganisms

(bacteria and fungi) help in this

transformation

• Composting Process

– Preparation – shred waste

– Digestion – microbes break down waste

– Curing – additional curing breaks down

solids

– Finishing – screen and grind to uniform

size

AB 341

The adoption of California Assembly Bill 341, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions by diverting waste from landfills and to reach California’s recycling goal of 75% by the

year 2020 is now in effect.

This law requires California commercial businesses and public entities that generate four or more

cubic yards per week of waste and multi-family housing complexes with five or more units, to

adopt recycling practices

Each local jurisdiction is required to inform businesses about the recycling requirement and to

keep track of the level of recycling within the business community. In addition, each jurisdiction is

required to report to Cal Recycle, the state agency that oversees recycling and solid waste, on

progress in the business community.

Benefits of AB 341 - In addition to less material going into local landfills, AB 341 will also

contribute to Orange County’s economy. The Department of Resource Recycling estimates that

local jurisdictions, schools, and businesses will save $40 million to $60 million per year from 2012-

2020, due to lower recycling versus disposal costs. A higher volume of recyclables will also create

manufacturing and recycling jobs and help contribute to California’s competitiveness.

Zero Waste – Possible?

Zero Waste Movement

https://youtu.be/Cg3OA1s8-SI?list=PL6C0BDD897A497CF6

EPA’s pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) program

• User fee based on the

amount of waste discarded

(per container or weight fee)

instead of a flat fee.

• EPA reports an average of

25%-45% drop in the

amounts of waste discarded

in communities that have

adopted pay-as-you-throw

programs, as well as 32-

59% increase in recycling.

Group Work - PAYT

• Read “Article #2 - EPA PAYT San Jose”

• Your group will brainstorm and create a PAYT program for the city of Fullerton, CA

– Refer to an article “City of Fullerton at a glance” to understand the city’s demographic features

as you put together the program

• Things to consider:

– Container options (bags, stickers, containers, etc.)

– Enforcement

– Pricing system

– Apartment/Multi-family housing

– Recycling

– Special populations

– Education and Outreach https://youtu.be/yCa38VVma1Y