Nickel and copper removal at the San Jose/Santa Clara water pollution control plant

Abstract

The fate of particulate and dissolved nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) was determined at various stages in a 7.3 mJ/s (167 mgd) tertiary treatment plant consisting of primary sedimentation, off-line primary effluent equalization, first-stage (secondary) activated sludge, second-stage (nitrification) activated sludge, prefilter chloramination, filtration, disinfection and dechlorination. At micrograms/liter levels, particulate Cu and Ni removals were higher than dissolved Cu and Ni removals. Only secondary activated sludge removed the dissolved Cu. No other process removed either dissolved Cu or Ni. The dissolved Cu concentration in the second stage nitrification activated sludge plant effluent was higher than that in the first stage secondary activated sludge plant effluent. Prefilter chloramination solubilized particulate Cu and decreased the overall Cu removal by filtration. The dissolved Cu removed by the activated sludge systems varied seasonally; the higher removals seemed to be associated with increased activated sludge growth. Water Environ. Res., 68, 1]72 (]997).

Strongly Complexed Cu and Ni in Wastewater Effluents and Surface Runoff

“…Assuming that wastewater effluents and surface runoff are the dominant sources of dissolved Ni, source water speciation data can be used to estimate Ni speciation in South San Francisco Bay. During winter, the average volume of surface runoff entering the bay is approximately equal to the volume of wastewater effluent discharged by the WPCPs ( − ). Assuming that wastewater effluents and surface runoff are the only significant sources of Ni diss , we predict ap proximately 50% of the Ni diss should consist of Ni and the remaining 20% and 30% should consist of and Ni , respectively.…”

“…The San Jose/Santa Clara plant (SJSC WPCP) is the largest WPCP. It discharges approximately 450 × 10 6 L day -1 ( , ) of treated effluent. The Palo Alto and Sunnyvale WPCPs discharge approximately 71 × 10 6 and 65 × 10 6 L day -1 of treated wastewater, respectively ().…”

Assessment of metal contamination in soil banks of the Rhumel wadi (Northeast Algeria)

“…High levels of Ni concentrations on site 8 were probably due to specific flux entering the Rhumel Wadi from the wwtp. The lower efficiency of Ni removal was also highlighted in another study (Ekster and Jenkins 1996).…”

An Evaluation of Metal Removal During Wastewater Treatment: The Potential to Achieve More Stringent Final Effluent Standards

“…Very limited removal of soluble metals has been observed during primary sedimentation and as a result the proportion of dissolved to particulate metal in the settled sewage increases (Olivier and Cosgrove, 1974;Lawson et al, 1984a;Yeoman et al, 1989;Ekster andJenkins, 1996, Santarsiero et al, 1998;Karvelas et al, 2003). However, metal solubility itself is not a reliable guide to the estimation of removal efficiency since their presence in an insoluble form does not guarantee removal (Kempton et al, 1987b).…”