Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater: Achieving Advanced Purification
Tertiary treatment of wastewater is a process that removes the remaining contaminants in the wastewater that have not been removed by primary and secondary …
Methods of Tertiary Treatment
Tertiary treatment is the final stage in wastewater treatment, aimed at removing remaining contaminants after primary and secondary treatment. Methods of tertiary treatment include:
- Filtration: The use of sand, activated carbon, or membrane filters to remove fine particles, suspended solids, and some pathogens.
- Chemical Treatment: The addition of chemicals like chlorine, ozone, or ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect water and remove any remaining microorganisms.
- Reverse Osmosis (RO): A membrane process that removes dissolved solids, heavy metals, and other contaminants, producing high-quality water.
- Nutrient Removal: Techniques like biological or chemical processes to remove excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to prevent eutrophication in receiving waters.
- Activated Carbon Adsorption: The use of activated carbon to remove organic compounds and trace chemicals from treated water.
These methods ensure the treated water meets environmental and health standards before being discharged or reused.
