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Elements for setting up discharge standards in developing countries based on actual wastewater treatment plant
Sílvia C Oliveira1, Marcos von Sperling
1Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. do Contorno 842-7 degrees andar-Centro, Belo Horizonte, MG 30.110-060, Brazil.
Summary
Many Brazilian wastewater treatment plants struggle to meet discharge standards. The study evaluated six common technologies, finding most performed poorly, highlighting the need for realistic standards in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Sanitation Science
Background:
- Wastewater treatment is crucial for public health and environmental protection.
- Assessing the performance of existing infrastructure is vital for effective water resource management.
- Developing countries often face challenges in implementing and maintaining advanced wastewater treatment systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the capability of 166 full-scale wastewater treatment plants in Brazil.
- To assess the performance of six different wastewater treatment processes against various quality targets.
- To provide data for establishing realistic wastewater discharge standards in developing countries.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 166 full-scale wastewater treatment plants across Brazil.
- Investigation of six distinct treatment processes: septic tank+anaerobic filter, facultative pond, anaerobic pond+facultative pond, activated sludge, UASB reactors alone, and UASB reactors with post-treatment.
- Measurement of key effluent parameters: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and thermotolerant coliforms.
Main Results:
- Most investigated wastewater treatment technologies demonstrated poor performance in meeting various discharge quality targets.
- Several technologies were incapable of achieving even lenient effluent standards.
- Performance varied significantly across the different treatment processes evaluated.
Conclusions:
- The study underscores the limitations of commonly applied wastewater treatment technologies in achieving desired effluent quality.
- Findings suggest a need for context-specific discharge standards in developing countries, considering achievable performance levels.
- Recommendations are provided for setting standards based on commonly achievable treatment process performance and best available technologies.
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