SRJC Course Outlines

4/16/2024 2:30:31 PMWWTR 122 Course Outline as of Summer 2015

Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION

Discipline and Nbr:  WWTR 122Title:  WASTEWATER CHEMISTRY  
Full Title:  Wastewater Chemistry
Last Reviewed:2/13/2023

UnitsCourse Hours per Week Nbr of WeeksCourse Hours Total
Maximum3.00Lecture Scheduled2.0017.5 max.Lecture Scheduled35.00
Minimum3.00Lab Scheduled3.008 min.Lab Scheduled52.50
 Contact DHR0 Contact DHR0
 Contact Total5.00 Contact Total87.50
 
 Non-contact DHR0 Non-contact DHR Total0

 Total Out of Class Hours:  70.00Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50 

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  ENVT 122

Catalog Description:
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This course will cover basic wastewater laboratory information, including chemical terms and symbols, equipment, sampling, safety, and quality assurance.  Students will perform lab tests, including pH, dissolved oxygen, solids (settleable, suspended, total, volatile), sludge volume index, biological and chemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, chlorine residual, and total coliform bacteria.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion of WWTR 120


Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description: Untitled document
This course will cover basic wastewater laboratory information, including chemical terms and symbols, equipment, sampling, safety, and quality assurance.  Students will perform lab tests, including pH, dissolved oxygen, solids (settleable, suspended, total, volatile), sludge volume index, biological and chemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, chlorine residual, and total coliform bacteria.
(Grade or P/NP)

Prerequisites:Course Completion of WWTR 120
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:Effective:Inactive:
 Area:
 
CSU GE:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 
IGETC:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 
CSU Transfer:Effective:Inactive:
 
UC Transfer:Effective:Inactive:
 
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable



COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
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Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1.  Apply an understanding of basic wastewater chemistry to wastewater treatment processes.
2.  Demonstrate use and care of laboratory equipment.
3.  Define and identify types of samples collected for wastewater laboratory.
4.  Analyze and determine if proper levels of treatment, content of acidity/alkalinity, hardness and other water quality characteristics have been achieved for wastewater.
5.  Perform tests including pH, dissolved oxygen, solids (settleable, suspended, total, volatile), sludge volume index, bio logical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, jar test, chlorine residual, total suspended solids, mixed liquor suspended solids, total coliform bacteria.  
6.  Apply laboratory safety techniques to the use of common laboratory equipment.  
7.  Describe the relevance of chemical tests to the operation of a wastewater treatment plant.

Topics and Scope
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I. Introduction
   A. Laboratory Safety
   B. Use of emergency equipment
   C. Techniques for handling toxic or dangerous chemicals
   D. Right-To-Know information: manufacturer's safety data sheets (MSDSs)
   E. Care and use of analytical instrumentation
   F. Reagent-grade chemicals and reagent-grade lab water
 
II. Review of Lab Terminology
  A. Periodic table of elements
   B. Definition of concentrations
  C. Commonly used equipment (overview)
  D. Quality assurance and quality control
   E. Collection, preservation, and holding times for samples
  F. Reporting of results (Method Detection Limits)
  G. Significant figures
 
III. Physical Examination Tests
  A. pH-related tests
    1. pH: electrode and indicator methods
     2. Acidity: hydroxide titration method
     3. Alkalinity: acid titration method
   B. General Physical
    1. Color: Nessler comparison method
     2. Odor: threshold odor number method
     3. Turbidity: nephelometric method
   C. Conductivity: specific at 25EC
   D. Coagulation: jar test method
   E. Corrosivity: saturation and langelier indices
  F. Hardness: total and calcium EDTA titration methods
   G. Tempurature: thermometric method
   H. Solids (Residue) Methods
     1. Total solids and percent solids: oven-dried at 104EC
     2. Total dissovled solids (TDS): oven-dried and baked at 180EC
     3. Total suspended solids (TSS): oven-dried at 104EC
     4. Volative and fixed solids: charred at 550EC
     5. Settleable solids: Imhoff cone method
 
IV. Inorganic Non-Metallic Constituents
     A. Methods of analysis
         1. Colorimetry: Beer-Lambert's Law
         2. Titrations
         3. Ion chromatography
         4. Packaged test kits
    B. Chlorine Residual
        1. Free chlorine
        2. Combined chlorine
        3. Iodometric titration method
        4. Amperometric titration method
   C. Chloride: argentometric and mercuric nitrate methods
   D. Bromide: ion chromatographic method
   E. Sulfate: turbidimetric method
   F. Cyanides: distillation/colorimetric method
   G. Sulfides: methylene blue method
   H. Dissolved oxygen: Winkler and electrode methods
   J. Ozone: indigo standard method (ISE)
   K. Nitrogen chemistry
       1. Ammonia: distillation, then ISE, colorimetric, or titration methods
       2. Nitrite: colorimetric method
       3. Nitrate: cadmium reduction and ion chromatographic methods (ICP)
       4. Organic nitrogen: Kjeldahl nitrogen method
   L. Boron: curcumin or ICP methods
 
V. Inorganic Metallic Constituents
     A. Toxic metals: cause and effect
     B. Common inorganic metals in waters
     C. Methods of analysis: choosing detection limits
        1. ICP-AES
        2. ICP-MS
        3. Graphite furnace AAS
        4. Flame AAS
        5. Cold vapor AAS
        6. Hydride-generation AAS
 
VI. Microbiological Examination
    A. Water and wastewater regulations
    B. Total and fecal coliform testing methods
         1. MPN - multiple tube fermentation
         2. Membrane filter
         3. Presence - absence
    C. Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) testing methods
         1. Standard plate count
         2. Research methods (R2A, NWRI, etc.)
 
VII. Aggregate Organic Constituents
       A. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD): 5-Day test
       B. Chemical oxygen demand (COD): closed reflux colorimetric methods
       C. Total organic carbon (TOC): UV oxidation and combustion methods
       D. Oil and grease: partition-gravimetric method
       E. Phenols: colorimetric 4-AAP method
       F. Surfactants: MBAS extraction method
 
VIII. Individual Organic Constituents
       A. Constituents and EPA methods
          1. Trihalomethanes (THMs)
          2. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
          3. Pesticides, herbicides
          4. Disinfection by products (DBPs)
          5. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
          6. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
          7. Dioxin
      B. Special sampling protocols
      C. Preparation and analytical methods
          1. Purge and trap preparation method
          2. Liquid-liquid extraction preparation method
          3. Gas chromatography (GC)
          4. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
          5. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)
 
IX. Fish Toxicity and Related Bioassays
    A. Acute toxicity
     B. Chronic toxicity
     C. Other bioassays
 
X. Sludge Analyses
   A. Mean cell residence time (MCRT): calculation
   B. Sludge settleables: cylinder method
   C. Sludge volume index (SVI): calculation
    D. Food to microorganism ratio (F/M ratio): calculation
   E. Volatile acidity of digester sludge: distillation method
   F. Alkalinity of digester sludge: acid titration method
  G. PH of digester sludge: electrode method
  H. Microbiological count of activated sludge: microscope counting method

Assignments:
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1. Reading: approximately 10 - 30 pages per week.
2. Problem solving homework: 3-5 assignments
3. Laboratory skill demonstrations: 3-5 demonstrations
4. Weekly quizzes on previous week's material.
5. Laboratory activities (15) and notebooks
6. Final Exam

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.
Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.Writing
0 - 0%
None
This is a degree applicable course but assessment tools based on writing are not included because problem solving assessments and skill demonstrations are more appropriate for this course.
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.Problem Solving
15 - 30%
Homework problems, Lab activities, Lab notebooks
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.Skill Demonstrations
30 - 40%
Lab Skill Demonstrations
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.Exams
40 - 55%
Quizzes; final exam.
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.Other Category
0 - 0%
None


Representative Textbooks and Materials:
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1. Laboratory Procedures and Chemistry for Operators of Water Pollution
Control Plants, by Dr. Kenneth Kerri (for the California Water Pollution
Control Association), 1991 (classic)
2. Instructor prepared materials

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