Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Fate of Heavy Metals in Sewage and Polluted Water Bodies


Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India
 

There is a major knowledge gap and a multifarious problem involving metal chemistry, physical interac-tions of metals, microbiology, aerobic and anaerobic processes in understanding the precipitation of heavy metals in sewage and polluted water bodies. This study focuses on determining the most feasible metal-salt that can be formed using standard Gibbs free energy change for each possible reaction of all the heavy metals in wastewater. Solubility limits of all possible metal salts are computed. It is shown that even in the short anaerobic stage, any heavy metal will have the propensity to precipitate as sulphides and form insoluble salts, thus rendering the wastewater free from heavy metals. The measured heavy metal concentration in treated wastewater from Bangalore’s K–C Valley and Bellandur sewage treatment plants is presented as a validation of the theory.

Keywords

Anaerobic Digestion, Heavy Metals, Precipitation, Solubility Limit, Wastewater.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Gross, M., The urbanisation of our species. Curr. Biol., 2016, 26, R1205–R1225.

  • Kim, Y. H. and Baik, J. J., Spatial and temporal structure of the urban heat island in Seoul. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol., 2005, 44, 591–605.

  • Ganesh, S. P. S. et al., Decentralized treatment and recycling of greywater from a school in rural India. J. Water Proc. Eng., 2020, 38, 101695.

  • Reshma, M., Kumar, M. and Rao, L., CFD multiphase simulation of oxygen transfer from diffused aeration system in synthetic wastewater. J. Water Process Eng., 2021, 40, 101920.

  • Priyanka, J., Raj, A. V., Connelly, S., Yeluripati, J., Richards, S., Rao, L. and Tamburini, M., Evaluating the performance of planted and unplanted HSSF-constructed wetlands: a case study from southern India. Ecol. Eng., 2021, 162, 106170.

  • Samia, R. et al., Sustainable water resources through harvesting rainwater and the effectiveness of a low-cost water treatment. J. Environ. Manage., 2021, 286, 112223.

  • Grimm, N. B. et al., Global change and the ecology of cities. Science, 2008, 319, 756–760.

  • Jain, M., Contemporary urbanization as unregulated growth in India: the story of census towns. Cities, 2018, 73, 117–127.

  • Carrondo, M. J. T., Lester, J. N., Perry, R. and Stoveland, S., Analysis of heavy metals in Sewage Sludge, Sewages and Final Effluent. Final report to the Department of the Environment for contracts, Government of the United Kingdom, 1978, DGR/480/66.

  • Oghenerobor, B. A., Ohiobor, G. O. and Olaolu, T. B., Heavy metal pollutants in wastewater effluents: sources, effects and remediation. Adv. Biosci. Bioeng., 2014, 2(4), 37–43.

  • Tchounwou, P. B., Yedjou, C. G., Patlolla, A. K. and Sutton, D. J., Heavy metal toxicity and the environment. Mol. Clin. Environ. Toxicol., 2012, 3, 133–164.

  • Duffus, J. H., ‘Heavy metals’ –a meaningless term? Pure App. Chem., 2002, 74(5), 793–807.

  • Gupta, A., Rai, D. K., Pandey, R. S. and Sharma, B., Analysis of some heavy metals in the riverine water, sediments and fish from river Ganges at Allahabad. Environ. Monit. Assess., 2008, 157, 1–4.

  • GoI, The Environment (Protection) Rules, Ministry of Environment, Government of India, 1986.

  • Shivashankara, G., Ranga, P., Ramalingaiah, K. and Rao, M., Characteristics of bulk precipitation in industrial area of Bangalore City. Indian J. Environ. Health, 1999, 41, 229–238.

  • Singh, A., Sharma, R. K., Agrawal, M. and Marshall, F. M., Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of foodstuffs from the wastewater irrigated site of a dry tropical area of India. Food Chem. Toxicol., 2010, 48(2), 611–619.

  • Singh, K. P., Mohan, D., Sinha, S. and Dalwani, R., Impact assessment of treated/untreated wastewater toxicants discharged by sewage treatment plants on health, agricultural, and environmental quality in the wastewater disposal area. Chemosphere, 2004, 55(2), 227–255.

  • Lokeshwari, H. and Chandrappa, G. T., Impact of heavy metal contamination of Bellandur Lake on soil and cultivated vegetation. Curr. Sci., 2006, 91(5), 622–627.

  • Dheri, G. S., Brar, M. S. and Malhi, S. S., Heavy‐metal concentration of sewage‐contaminated water and its impact on underground water, soil and crop plants in alluvial soils of northwestern India. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 2007, 38(9–10), 1353–1370.

  • Parashar, P. and Prasad, F. M., Study of heavy metal accumulation in sewage irrigated vegetables in different regions of Agra District, India. J. Soil Sci., 2013, 3, 1–8.

  • KC Valley project: IISc report warns of heavy metal content in treated water. Econ. Times, September 2018.

  • Varalakshmi, L. R. and Ganeshamurthy, A. N., Heavy metal contamination of water bodies, soils and vegetables in peri-urban areas: a case study in Bengaluru. J. Hortic. Sci., 2012, 7(1), 62–67.

  • Callander, I. J. and Barford, J. P., Precipitation, chelation, and the availability of metals as nutrients in anaerobic digestion. II. Applications. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 1983, 25(8), 1959–1972.

  • Kiran, G., Kannan, P. and Das, G., Heavy metal removal by sulfate reduction using anaerobic sludge biomass from a wastewater treatment plant. In International Conference on Hydrology and Watershed Management, India, 2014.

  • Roussel, J., Metal behaviour in anaerobic sludge digesters supplemented with trace nutrients. Ph.D. thesis, The University of Birmingham, UK, 2012.

  • Durga, M., Hoysall, C. and Ramachandra, T. V., Assessment of treatment capabilities of Varthur Lake, Bangalore, India. Int. J. Environ. Technol. Manage., 2011, 143, 84–102.

  • Bratkova, S., Angeloy, A., Nikolova, K., Loukanov A. and Plochey, S., Removal of Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn ions from waters with microbial produced hydrogen sulfide, Annu. Univ. Mining Geol. ‘St. Ivan Rilski’, 2011, 54, 175–180.

  • Aynsley, E. E. and Campbell, A. W., The laboratory preparation of hydrogen sulphide: a historical survey. J. Chem. Edu., 1958, 35(7), 347–349.

  • Cioabla, A. E., Ionel, I., Dumitrel, G. A. and Popescu, F., Comparative study on factors affecting anaerobic digestion of agricultural vegetal residues. Biotechnol. Biofuels, 2012, 5, 39.

  • Morse, J. W. and Luther, G. W., Chemical influences on trace metal–sulfide interactions in anoxic sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 1920, 63, 3373–3378.

  • Haynes, W. M., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 95th edn, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 2014.

  • Green, D. W. and Southard, M. Z., Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 9th edn, McGraw-Hill Education, New York, USA, 2019.

  • Olaniran, A., Balgobind, A. and Pillay, B., Bioavailability of heavy metals in soil: impact on microbial biodegradation of organic compounds and possible improvement strategies, Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2013, 14(5), 10197–10228.

  • Lewis, A. E., Review of metal sulphide precipitation. Hydrometallurgy, 2010, 104(2), 222–234.

  • Richardson, H. W., Handbook of Copper Compounds and Applications, 1st edn, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 1997, pp. 273–275.

  • Anderson, G. K. and Yang, G., pH control in anaerobic treatment of industrial wastewater. J. Environ. Eng., 1992, 118(4), 551–567.

  • Stinson, M. K., Control and treatment technology for the metal finishing industry: sulphide precipitation. Technical report prepared for United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1980, 625/8-80-003.

  • Rice, E. W., Baird, R. B. and Eaton, A. D., Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Wastewater, 23rd edn, American Public Health Association, 2017, 3125-B.


Abstract Views: 391

PDF Views: 142




  • Fate of Heavy Metals in Sewage and Polluted Water Bodies

Abstract Views: 391  |  PDF Views: 142

Authors

Harsha Rao
Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India
Lakshminarayana Rao
Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India
H. N. Chanakya
Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India

Abstract


There is a major knowledge gap and a multifarious problem involving metal chemistry, physical interac-tions of metals, microbiology, aerobic and anaerobic processes in understanding the precipitation of heavy metals in sewage and polluted water bodies. This study focuses on determining the most feasible metal-salt that can be formed using standard Gibbs free energy change for each possible reaction of all the heavy metals in wastewater. Solubility limits of all possible metal salts are computed. It is shown that even in the short anaerobic stage, any heavy metal will have the propensity to precipitate as sulphides and form insoluble salts, thus rendering the wastewater free from heavy metals. The measured heavy metal concentration in treated wastewater from Bangalore’s K–C Valley and Bellandur sewage treatment plants is presented as a validation of the theory.

Keywords


Anaerobic Digestion, Heavy Metals, Precipitation, Solubility Limit, Wastewater.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv121%2Fi1%2F109-114