(117av) Physiochemical Treatment of Wastewater for Marine Applications

In this study, the design of a novel wastewater treatment method utilizing direct flocculation is explored. This novel design hopes to reduce the time, cost, and space requirements of existing wastewater treatment methods. Direct flocculation involves turbid mixing of the wastewater with an emulsion polymer flocculant to eliminate most of the total suspended solids (TSS) residing in the wastewater by coagulating the solids into larger coliforms, so they can be physically separated. The resulting solution is then treated with sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant, and sodium meta bisulfate to dechlorinate the solution by way of precipitation. Our study showed success with substantial removal of TSS, as well as significant reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 5-day biological oxygen demand without nitrification (BOD₅). The final levels of TSS, COD, and BOD₅ were compared to the Marine Environmental Protection Committee’s standards for wastewater discharge and met the listed specifications (TSS<35 mg/L, COD<125 mg/L, BOD₅<25 mg/L).This shows potential for this treatment method for commercial use, and further studies should be pursued.