411-407 Biochemical & Environmental Engineering3

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

411-311 Biochemical and Environmental Engineering 2.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The objective of this subject is to provide students with a broad understanding of the nature of waste streams, the principles underlying their treatment, and the important processes used to treat industrial, domestic and agricultural wastes. In addition students gain an understanding of procedures used in the process design of activated sludge and other treatment systems as well as gaining practical experience in the operation of a bench-scale activated sludge unit and the common assay procedures used to quantify its performance. Topics addressed include: the characteristics of wastes and the objectives of waste treatment; important waste assay procedures including those for BOD, NOD, COD, TOC, TSS, VSS, NVSS; primary, secondary and tertiary treatment; physical and chemical treatment processes including sedimentation and flotation; biological waste treatment and the role of various microbial groups; anaerobic, facultative, aerobic and aerated lagoons and the factors affecting their design; design of oxygen transfer equipment for aerated systems; activated sludge and related processes; control parameters and design procedures for activated sludge systems; adherent growth processes and associated design considerations; biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal; anaerobic treatment processes and the associated microbiological and physicohemical aspects; land treatment processes.

Assessment

One class test during semester one contributing 20% to the final mark, one practical work report of no more than 2000 words contributing 10% to the final mark, as well as an examination not exceeding three hours contributing 70% to the final mark.