Environmental Issues in Puducherry http://econiru.wordpress.com Eco_Puducherry Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:19:01 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ en hourly 1 http://www.gravatar.com/blavatar/2baff5fb13ea0796aa941439386d6ad1?s=96&d=http://s.wordpress.com/i/buttonw-com.png Environmental Issues in Puducherry http://econiru.wordpress.com Phyto remediation applying for the Sewage Treatment http://econiru.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/phyto-remediation-applying-for-the-sewage-treatment/ http://econiru.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/phyto-remediation-applying-for-the-sewage-treatment/#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:22:57 +0000 econiru http://econiru.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/phyto-remediation-applying-for-the-sewage-treatment/ ]]>

SEWAGE

Sewage is the mainly liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water, faeces, urine, laundry waste and other material which goes down drains and toilets from households and industry. It is one type of wastewater, and is a major actual or potential source of pollution especially in urban areas.Sewage is the liquid waste from toilets, baths, showers, kitchens, sinks etc., is disposed of via sewers and in urbanized areas sewage also includes some liquid waste from industry and commerce.

Sewage treatment is the process of removing the contaminants from sewage to produce liquid and solid (sludge) suitable for discharge to the environment or for reuse. It is a form of waste management. A septic tank or other on-site wastewater treatment system such as biofilters can be used to treat sewage close to where it is created. Sewage water is a complex matrix, with many distinctive chemical characteristics. These include high concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, high conductivity (due to high dissolved solids), high alkalinity, with pH typically ranging between 7 and 8.

In India, sewage treatment system is very rarely doing in the states. Especially in Pondicherry, the sewage system is very worst, and there is no any sewage treatment system in urban areas. Only in Karvadikuppam, they have this sewage treatment, but not working properly.

sewage.jpg

Sewage connected to sea via open canal without any treatment

Phyto-Remediation

Phyto = plant, and remedium = restoring balance, or remediating. Phytoremediation consists in depolluting contaminated soils, water or air with plants able to contain, degrade or eliminate metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil and its derivatives, and various other contaminants, from the mediums that contain them. It is clean, efficient, inexpensive and non-environmentally disruptive.

Phytoremediation is one of the best ecological ways for treating polluted sewage water. Using the high efficiently nutrient absorbing plants for reducing the chemical contents from the sewage and playing as a substratum, providing microbial growth. The plant which is used in this process can be easily monitored.

water-hycianth.jpg
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crasspies)

Water hyacinths comprise the genus Eichhornia of free-floating perennial aquatic plants. With broad, thick and glossy ovate leaves, water hyacinths may rise some 1 metre in height. The leaves are 10-20 cm across, supported above the water surface by long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purplish black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pinkish in colour with six petals.

One of the fastest growing plants known, water hyacinth reproduces primarily by way of runners or stolons, eventually forming daughter plants. They may also reproduce via seeds. The common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a vigorous grower known to double its population in two weeks.

Eichhornia (Water hyacinth) is a good bioindicator of pollution. It can easily absorb the heavy metals and nutrients from sewage water. It can efficiently absorb more than eight different heavy metals from the sewage such as Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn.

Bio-Gas

Bio gas is a kind of bio energy produced from the biomass by using the microbes. Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas is a product of the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as manure or sewage, municipal waste, and energy crops.

structure13.jpg

Bio-digestor

Bio-digestor is one of major component in Biogas production. It consist of central cylindrical core and valve is present on the top as shown in the figure. Input and Output also present for supplying the mixture of cowdung and biomass in the Input and the remaining slurry will be collected from the output. Anaerobic process would be done in the cylindrical part, which mixture is converted into biogas by the activities of microbes.

digestor.jpg

This Project is just my idea, but I am trying to implementing this project with the help of my friend Rajmanikam.

On 22-01-08, we started this process, like we made one small biodigestor, which is very cheap. A 20 litre water cane is used as a biodigestor, in which contains valve on the top to control the gas pressure. In this digestor, we added 5kg of shedded Eichhornia biomass and 2kg of cow dung. further we added introduced the microbes which are easily available in toddy and sewage. Finally added 2.5ltr of water.

digestor3.jpg

 

]]> http://econiru.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/phyto-remediation-applying-for-the-sewage-treatment/feed/ 0 econiru sewage.jpg water-hycianth.jpg structure13.jpg digestor.jpg digestor3.jpg