Wastewater Treatment |
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment uses microbes to decompose organic matter in sewage. If
too much untreated sewage or other organic matter is added to a lake or stream,
dissolved oxygen levels will drop too low to support sensitive species of fish
and other aquatic life. Wastewater treatment systems are designed to digest
much of the organic matter before the wastewater is released so that this will
not occur. Treatment systems use physical, chemical, and biological processes:
Sludge, the collection of solids that are removed during wastewater treatment, requires processing to reduce odor and water content. Depending on the disposal method, the sludge also may undergo treatment to decompose organic matter or kill disease-causing organisms.
Copyright © 2009 Environmental Inquiry, Cornell
University and Penn State University |