Catalytic Oxidation of Sulfur Dioxide in Wastewater

Sulfur dioxide has been shown to be an effective wastewater disinfectant. The aqueous sulfur dioxide creates and oxygen demand in the effulent which must be removed prior to discharge. Oxidation to sulfate is one means of accomplishing this task. Experiments were carried out to determine the effectiveness of transition metals and activated carbon as catalysts for the oxidation of S+IV species in wastewater. Both the metals and carbon are known catalysis, but what inhibitory effect the wastewater might have was unknown. Effectiveness was defined as a combination of catalyst life, effluent quality, and cost. Tradition metals were eliminated as potential catalysts due to the high metal concentrations found in the effluent. The acidic nature of 500 mg/l SO2 dissolved in wastewater (pH 2.5) would dissolve the metals or cause them to desorb from a carbon base. Using downflow contractors, activated carbon was shown to catalyze the reaction as long as sufficient oxygen was available. At a loading rate of 5.5 h carbon/1 and a hydraulic loading of 38 M^3/M^2 * day, 24 hour runs were accomplished without SO2 breakthrough (less than 4 mg/1). Longer runs resulted in gradual breakthrough (40 mg SO2/1 after 96 hours). The cause of the failure was assumed to be the self-poisoning of the catalyst by sulfuric acid (the product of SO2 oxidation) and/or the reduced solubility of oxygen in the sulfuric acid solution. Carbon regeneration, as a catalyst, was accomplished by backwashing the column with tap water. The cost of sulfur dioxide disinfection ranged from $0.23 -$0.73/1000 gallons treated. In general, this process was much more costly than other disinfection systems

Evaluation of Mutagenicity Testing of Extracts from Processed Oil Shale

The Ames

Aquatic Resources Management of the Colorado River Ecosystem

The Colorado River system has often been referred to as the most regulated river system in the world. The Colorado River Basin serves millions of people through agricultural, energy, municipal and industrial uses, fish and wildlife activities, and recreation. The symposium was conceived and organized to allow researchers, private industry, consultants, water users, regulatory agencies, and concerned citizens the opportunity to express needs, desires, and concerns about the vast resources of the Colorado River. We found that there were a diverse number of problems confronting the individuals who are involved in the management of this important ecosystem. A variety of broad topics have been presented which include: water policy and major diversions; energy impacts; oil shale development--resources and impacts; Lake Mead and the other major reservoirs in the system; the ecology and management of the watershed and the riparian habitat in the system; fisheries; salinity problems; sedimentation; eutrophication; flow depletion; and water augmentation. This timely symposium brought together many individuals, representing a variety of disciplines, to discuss and transfer information appropriate to the needs of the Colorado River Basin. The results of this symposium, which have been compiled herein, are an attempt to examine current and projected effects of water and land management within the Colorado River Basin and to provide a basis for determining what can be done to better manage the resources within the total context of activities affecting the Colorado River Ecosystem

Calcium Carbonate Precipitation as Influenced by Stream Primary Production

The potential influence of periphyton photosynthesis on calcium carbonate precipitation was studied for the Logan River, Bear River Mountains, northern Utah. The water chemistry, hydrology, and benthic primary production of the river were monitored for one year. periphyton photosynthesis and calcium carbonate precipitation were measured concurrently in laboratory experiments utilizing radioisotopic tracers. These experiments investigated the effects of water temperature, velocity, and macronutrient concentration on photosynthetically induced calcium carbonate precipitation. In these experiments, the biologic induction of calcium carbonate precipitation was not correlated with water nutrient level. It did, however, reflect water temperature, and was greatest at approximately 10 degrees C. Furthermore, benthic calcium carbonate precipitation decreased nearly uniformly as water velocity increased. Application of the experimental results to the Logan River system suggests that biological activity would have the greatest influence in the high-altitude, first and second-order tributaries to the river, and would decline in importance in the downstream direction. Biological activity may account for up to 25 percent of the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the Logan River during certain times of the year

Sprinkler Application of SO2 - Treated Groundwater at the Sandarosa Farm, Snowville, Utah

Sulfur is recognized as one of the essential elements for plant growth. It has also been used in agriculture for reclamation of saline and sodic soils. During the reclamation process there is the potential benefit of increased availability of phosphorus and certain micro-nutrients for plant uptake. There is also potential for increased infiltration thus increasing water utilization efficiency. Sulfur has been applied to soils in a flake or nodule form, by the addition of sulfuric acid and most recently by the application of sulfurous acid. The raw sulfur addition technique is accomplished by spreading raw sulfur on the soil and under the appropriate temperature, soil moisture, pH and aerobic conditions, microorganisms oxidize the sulfur to sulfate. This process is rather slow except under some very limited optimal conditions. Sulfuric acid has been used under a variety of conditions but seems to be limited due to its hazardous nature and corrosive properties. The sulfurous acid technique seems to have the most promising future as the best and most appropriate technique of sulfur addition. Raw sulfur is burned on site and administered into the irrigation water as needed according to the soil, water and crop conditions. This project was initiated to evaluate the application and beneficial effects of sulfurous acid (using an International Environmental Inc. Model 150 sulfur burner) to an alkaline soil using barley as the test crop

Predicted Limnology of the Proposed Ridges Basin Reservoir

A limnological evaluation was conducted for the offstream Ridges Basin Reservoir proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation in southwest Colorado. The study required the determination of existing water quality in the source river and use of the information to predict the algal standing crop, hypolimnetic oxygen deficity, Secchi disk transparency, and retention of metals in the proposed reservoir. A water quality study was conducted between May 1977 and August 1978. Samplse were collected from the Animas River, which will provide the inflow to the proposed reservoir, and from the La Plata River, which will receive discharge from the reservoir. Samples were analyzed for 49 water quality constituents. The data were used to evaluate the quality of water in both rivers with respect to the proposed Colorado Water Quatiy Standards for raw ater supply, agricultural use, and the protection of the aquatic biota. A phophorus loading model was evaluated and used to predict the summer standing crop of chlorophyl

A Statistical Comparison of a Direct Filtration and a Conventional Water Treatment Facility in the Intermountain Region

Interest in low-cost direct filtration facilities and their effectiveness in treating the potable water sources of the Intermountain Region is increasing as the need for treated water supplies increase. Direct filtration is a water treatment scheme which does not include sedimentation and in some cases flocculation. Compared to conventional treatment, direct filtration has lowered capital costs, reduced space requirement, and decreased sludge quantities. Moreover, the direct filtration process may offer large reductions in coagulant dosages and costs. Currently information comparing a direct filtration system to a conventional water treatment system in the Intermountain area is not readily available. The specific objective of the research was to compare by statistical methods the direct filtration, Utah Valley Water Purification Plant (Orem, Utah) and the conventional Little Cottonwood Metropolitan Water Treatment Plant (Salt Lake City, Utah). These treatment plants were chosen for comparison on the basis that they are the two most compatible treatment plants having the highest correlation of source water. The Little Cottonwood Plant receives approximately 65% of its source water from Deer Creek Reservoir whereas the Utah Valley Plant receives all of its source water from Deer Creek Reservoir. The parameters, most common to both treatment facilities chosen for comparison were total daily flow, raw water turbidity, effluent pH, finished water temperature, and alum dosing concentrations. Data from August 1, 1980 through August 31, 1983 were obtained from the daily water quality and plant operation logs of the two treatment plants. Utilizing the computer, these parameters were compared statistically in several fashions. The most beneficial results were obtained from a randomized block design analysis of variance using an F-ratio as the reference for significance. The data from each treatment plant were blocked into seasonal means and compared with a degree of significance of = 0.01. The parameter under investigation of most importance in the comparison of the conventional and direct filtration water treatment plants is the finished water turbidity has typically been the main criterion for determining the quality of water of operating and pilot-scale direct filtration plants. The F-ratio for this parameter at the degree of significance alpha = 0.01 proved not significant. Further the mean finished water turbidities for the Utah Valley and Little Cottonwood treatment plants were well below the EPA Primary Drinking Water Regulation of a maximum contaminant level of 1 TU. The overall statistical analysis exhibits that the Utah Valley Purification plant produces not only an acceptable quality of water but one that is also comparable in quality to that of the conventional processes of the Little Cottonwood Metropolitan Treatment Plant