EXPERIMENT3 VOLATILE SUSPENDED SOLIDS (VSS). PDF

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Water is a very good solvent for solid materials and a medium where impurities easily carry away by its flow. These compositions will affect the water quality. One of the important parameters in the wastewater quality test is to identify these solid containments and their properties before it become...

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OBJECTIVES To determine the volatile suspended solids (VSS) in a wastewater sample.

INTRODUCTION Water is a very good solvent for solid materials and a medium where impurities easily carry away by its flow. These compositions will affect the water quality. One of the important parameters in the wastewater quality test is to identify these solid containments and their properties before it become a hazardous water body. Solid in water bodies can come in organic solid such as animals and plants matter and inorganic solids such as mineral compounds and salts. (Unknown, n.d.). These solids can be divided into several categories such as Total solids, Suspended solids, Dissolved solids, Volatile solids, Settle able solids and fixed solid. All of the stated solids are very important in solid analysis for example in activated sludge process of wastewater treatment systems. In this experiment, we will determine the volatile suspended solid in wastewater that have provided by lab instructor. The term solid is used when referring to any material suspended or dissolved in water or wastewater that can be physically isolated either through filtration or evaporation. Volatile suspended solids are defined as solid composition from Total Suspended solids that is loss due to 550°C ignition. It is a water quality measure obtained from the loss on ignition of total suspended solids. Volatile solid usually comes from organic compound such as oils. The temperature of 550°C is the point where the organic compound is in a complete oxidation process. According to Theobald (2014), the volatile suspended solids (VSS) method is a rough measure of solids concentration in samples of activated sludge derived by measuring volatile solids. This test is a measure to indicate the organic matter composition. Aditi (2019) stated that, the greater the concentration of organic or volatile solids, the stronger the wastewater.

MATERIAL AND APPARATUS  Wastewater sample.  Distilled water.  Pipette.  Porcelain crucible.  Oven.  Desiccator.  Muffle furnace.

PROCEDURE 1. The SS from TSS was ignited at 550 degree in the muffle furnace for half an hour. 2. It was cooled in a desiccator and it was weighed. It was repeated till a constant weight was obtained.

DATA Mass of filter disk + solids before ignition

0.2459 g

Mass filter disk + solids after ignition

0.2429 g

Difference of before and after ignition

0.003 g

Volume of sample

10.0 mL

CALCULATION

Volatile suspended solid ( VSS )=

A−B 6 × 10 C

Where, A = weigh of filter disk + solids before ignition (g) B = weigh of filter disk + solids after ignition (g) C = Volume of water sample used (mL)

Total solid ( TS )=

0.2459−0.2429 ×106 5 = 600mg/L

DISCUSSION In this experiment, we have succeeded in determining the volatile suspended solids (VSS) in waste water. We determined the amount of volatile suspended solids by heating the fibre filter disc and residue in experiment 2 in a muffle furnace for 30 minutes. The purpose of this is to obtain an estimation of the quantity of organic matter presented in the waste water sample. Afterwards the filter disc + residue is cooled in a desiccator for 10 minutes and weighed. The weight of filter disc and residue before ignition is 0.2459 g, whereas the weight of filter disc + residue after ignition is 0.2429 g. The formula used to obtain the amount of volatile

suspended

solid

(VSS)

is

( weight of filter disc +residu BEFOREignition ) −(weight of filter disc+residue AFTER ignition) Volume of sample (5 mL) x 106. Hence the amount of volatile suspended solid in our sample waste water is 600 mg/mL.

A few precautions must be taken in order to achieve the most precise and accurate results. For instance, be sure all glassware are cleaned and dried. This is to ensure no foreign residue are presented on the apparatus, which may affect the actual results. In addition, be sure to weigh the fibre filter disc as soon as it’s cooled. This is to avoid the disc from being exposed to the air for too long as it can absorb water vapour. If water vapour is presented it can affect the actual weight of the results.

CONCLUSION In conclusion, we have learned to determine the volatile suspended solids in a wastewater sample. The amount volatile suspended solid has been calculated and the reason behind the result obtained has been discussed. We can conclude the concentration of volatile suspended solids (VSS) is 600 mg/L. The waste water is not very polluted since the concentration of suspended solids in waste water still not over the standard value. (Watertreatment, 2008).

QUESTIONS 1)

Differentiate between the terms ‘SS’ and ‘VSS’  Suspended solids (SS) are particles that are larger than 2 microns found in the water column. Anything smaller than 2 microns (average filter size) is considered a dissolved solid. Most suspended solids are made up of inorganic materials, though bacteria and algae can also contribute to the total solid concentration. Suspended solids are important as pollutants and pathogens are carried on the surface of particles. The smaller the particle size, the greater the total surface area per unit mass of particle in grams, and so the higher the pollutant load that is likely to be carried.  Volatile suspended solids (VSS) are a substance that can easily transform from its solid phase to its vapor phase without going through a liquid phase. Volatile solids normally represent the amount of organic solids in water, and have great importance in water and wastewater treatment. The amount of volatile solids in wastewater is frequently used to describe the strength of the waste. The more volatile solids present in wastewater, the stronger that wastewater is. If the volatile solids in wastewater are

mostly organic, the impact on a treatment plant is greater than if the solids are mostly inorganic. REFERENCES Unknown, (n.d.). Wastewater. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from http://web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana52/atiksu.html

Aditi, (January 29, 2019). What is example of volatile solid? Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-example-of-volatile-solid

Water-treatment. (2008, April 04). Malaysia Sewage and Industrial Effluent Discharge Standards. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from http://www.watertreatment.com.cn/resources/discharge-standards/malaysia.htm

Wikipedia. (August 29, 2017). Volatile Suspended Solids. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_suspended_solids

Theobald, D. (May 5, 2014). The measurement of suspended solid. Retrieved on May 15, 2020 from https://www.watertechonline.com/wastewater/article/15544955/themeasurement-of-suspended-solids...