FE Review for

Environmental
Engineering
Problems, problems, problems
Presented by L.R. Chevalier, Ph.D., P.E.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
FE Review for Environmental Engineering

BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Problem Strategy Solution

Given the following data, calculate BOD5

Initial DO of sample: 9.0 mg/L

Volume of sample: 10 ml
Final DO of bottle after 5 days: 1.8 mg/L
Volume of BOD bottle: standard 300 ml
Problem Strategy Solution

Review and understand the terms of the governing equation

DOi DO f DOi DO f
BODt
Vs P

Vb
Problem Strategy Solution

Standard Bottle: 300 ml

P = 10/300 =0.033

DOi DO f 9.0 1.8

BOD5 218 mg
P 0.033 L
Typical Curve
BOD (mg/L)

BOD5

Time (days)
Further Discussion on BOD
Typical values
domestic sewage 250 mg/L
industrial waste as high as 30,000 mg/L
untreated dairy waste 20,000 mg/L
After 5 days, BOD curve may turn sharply upward
demand of oxygen by microorganisms that decompose
nitrogeneous organic compounds into stable nitrate
BOD (mg/L)

nitrogenous

Lo carbonaceous
BOD5

Time (days)
Problem Strategy Solution

If the BOD3 of a waste is 75 mg/L and

k=0.345 day-1, what is the ultimate BOD?
 Problem Strategy Solution

For some of you there may be a confusion as to

which equation to use:

BODt Lo 1 e kt
Lt Loe kt
 Problem Strategy Solution

Recall the equation for BODt

DOi DO f DOi DO f
BODt
Vs P

Vb

The amount of DO measured will decrease over

time. Does BOD increase or decrease over time?
 400

Oxygen consumed, BODt Lo

BOD remaining, Lt

300

OXYGEN CONSUMED
200

100
OXYGEN DEMAND REMAINING

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, days

OXYGEN CONSUMED OXYGEN DEMAND REMAINING

BODt Lo 1 e kt
Lt Loe kt
Want to use the equation that shows an increase with time!
Problem Strategy Solution

75 Lo 1 e 0.3453

0.645Lo
Lo 116 mg / L
Problem Strategy Solution

Given: DOi = 9.0 mg/L

DO = 3.0 mg/L after 5 days
Dilution factor P = 0.030
Reaction rate, k = 0.22 day-1

a) What is the 5-day BOD?

b) What is the ultimate BOD?
c) What is the remaining oxygen demand after 5
days?
 Problem Strategy Solution

Review and understand the equations needed for the solution

DOi DO f DOi DO f
BODt
Vs P

Vb

400

kt
BODt Lo 1 e
Lo
Oxygen consumed, BODt

300
BOD remaining, Lt

yt
200

BODt
100
Lt

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, days
Problem Strategy Solution

a) What is the 5 day BOD?

DOi DO f 93
BOD 5 200 mg
P 0.03 L
 Problem Strategy Solution

b) What is the ultimate BOD?

BOD 5 200 mg
Lo kt
0.225 300
1 e 1 e L
 Problem Strategy Solution

c) What is the remaining oxygen demand after 5

days?

300 - 200 = 100 mg/L

Problem Strategy Solution

Determine the ThOD of a 400 mg/L solution of glucose C6H12O6

 Problem Strategy Solution

Balance the equation

Determine the MW of compound and O2
Calculate ThOD

ThOD
mg
chemical # moles oxygen
mg
L L
32 g
mol oxygen
MW chemical # moles chemical
 Problem Strategy Solution

1. Balance the following equation

C6 H12O6 __ O2 __ CO2 __ H 2O

C6 H12O6 6O2 6CO2 6 H 2O

Problem Strategy Solution

2. Determine the MW of glucose and O2

MW C6H12O6 = 12(6) + 12 + 16(6) = 180 g/mol

MW O2 = 2(16) = 32 g/mol

3. Calculate the ThOD

ThOD mg L
mg
400 6 moles oxygen
g
L
32 g
mol oxygen
180 mol 1 moles glucose
426.7 mg L
 Problem Strategy Solution

Ethanol, or ethyl, alcohol is used in beverages, as a gasoline additive, and in other

industrial applications. Because small amounts of ethanol and sugar are used in
the biological process to produce methanol, both of these compounds inevitable
end up in the waste water of methanol plants.

Calculate the ThOD demand for waste water containing 30 mg/L ethanol
[CH3CH2OH] and 40 mg/L sucrose [C6H12O6]
 Problem Strategy Solution

Balance two equations

Determine the MW of both compounds
Calculate ThOD for both, then add

ThOD L
mg
chemical # moles oxygen
mg L
32 g mol oxygen
MW chemical # moles chemical
 Problem Strategy Solution

1. Write the balanced equation for the oxidation of

ethanol (often written EtOH) to the end products
of CO2 and H2O.

CH 3CH 2OH 3O2 2CO2 3H 2O

MW EtOH = 46 g/mol
 Problem Strategy Solution

2. ThOD of EtOH is calculated as follows:

ThOD L g
mg
30 3 moles oxygen
mg L
32 g mol oxygen
46 mol 1 moles EtOH
62.6 mg L O2
 Problem Strategy Solution

3. Calculate the ThOD for wastewater containing

40 mg/L sucrose [C6H12O6]

C6 H12O6 6O2 6CO2 6 H 2O

MW Sucrose = 180 mg/L

ThOD L
mg
40 6 moles oxygen
mg
g
L
32 g
mol oxygen
180 mol 1 moles sucrose
42.7 mg L O2
 Problem Strategy Solution

4. To calculate ThOD for waste water containing

both 30 mg/L ethanol [CH3CH2OH] and 40 mg/L
sucrose [C6H12O6], you can add the ThOD of the
individual compounds.

ThOD tot = 62.6 mg/L O2 + 42.7 mg/L O2

= 105.3 mg/L O2 ... end of example

Example Solution

A chemical plant produces the amino acid

glycine [C2H5O2N]. The wastewater from the
facility contains approximately 25 mg/L of
this acid. Calculate both the carbonaceous
and nitrogenous ThOD for the wastewater.
Example Solution

1. As in the previous example, write the

balance equation, but include NH3 as an end
product.

C2 H 5O2 N ? O2 ? CO2 ? H 2O ? NH 3
 Example Solution

2. Balanced equation:

C2 H 5O2 N 1 12 O2 2CO2 H 2O NH 3

3. The molecular weight of the acid is 75 g/mol. The

amount of oxygen required to oxidize the
carbonaceous portion is:

ThOD L g
mg
25 1.5 moles oxygen
mg L
32 g mol oxygen
75 mol 1 moles acid
16 mg L O2
 Example Solution

4. One mole of ammonia is produced for each mole

of acid oxidized. The equation for oxidation of the
ammonia is:

NH3 2O2 NO3 H2 O H

ammonia nitrate
Example Solution

5. To determine the nitrogenous oxygen demand:

NOD L g
mg
25 2 moles oxygen
mg L
32 g mol oxygen
75 mol 1 moles ammonia
21.3 mg L O2
 Example Solution

6. The amount of oxygen required to oxidize the acid

is the sum of both the carbonaceous and the
nitrogenous oxygen demands.

ThOD = 16 + 21.33 = 37.33 mg/L O2

.....end of example