How to cite:
Truong, Q.; Ramezanianpour, M.; Jensen, M.; Yuki, I. Treatment of Septic Tank Discharge Using Crushed Glass Filter Media. Preprints2022, 2022040180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202204.0180.v1
Truong, Q.; Ramezanianpour, M.; Jensen, M.; Yuki, I. Treatment of Septic Tank Discharge Using Crushed Glass Filter Media. Preprints 2022, 2022040180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202204.0180.v1
Truong, Q.; Ramezanianpour, M.; Jensen, M.; Yuki, I. Treatment of Septic Tank Discharge Using Crushed Glass Filter Media. Preprints2022, 2022040180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202204.0180.v1
APA Style
Truong, Q., Ramezanianpour, M., Jensen, M., & Yuki, I. (2022). Treatment of Septic Tank Discharge Using Crushed Glass Filter Media. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202204.0180.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Truong, Q., Marc Jensen and Issei Yuki. 2022 "Treatment of Septic Tank Discharge Using Crushed Glass Filter Media" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202204.0180.v1
Abstract
The on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) with a sand trench is an economical option for residents in rural areas or the countryside where a centralised sewer system is inaccessible. 2A sand achieves improved filtration, microbial activity and consistent long term performance when compared to gravel or scoria based trench systems. However, it is expensive and only readily available in a few areas across New Zealand. Additionally, it has a reputation for premature blockage when overloaded or compacted. The aim of this study is not only to critically evaluate the performance of Crushed Glass (CG) with respect to 2A sand, but also to investigate different loading rates for CG when treating primary treated effluent from a septic tank. A test rig was designed and constructed to simulate the real environment of the sand column in a discharge control trench. The treatment efficiency of three filters was recorded and compared in this study. Overall, the CG loaded at 25mm/day (CG25) and50mm/day (CG50) provided an average of 13% and 6% more Total Nitrogen (TN) reduction than the sand filter, respectively. The removal rates for the TN were up to 69.5%. The CG50 filter performed similarly at 50mm/day as the 2A sand filter in terms of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)5 removal of more than 94%. The CG25 removal rates for TSS and BOD5 at the start of the trial (likely due to residual liquid contamination from the bottles when crushed) improved over the sampling period and ultimately achieved similar results of 92% and 91.3% to the filters loaded at 50mm/day. Lifecycle cost analyses and carbon balances were completed for the two media. It highlighted that the current price of CG is only half of 2A sand, yet it produces significantly less CO2 emissions than 2A sand. A 3-bedroom dwelling could save up to $500 and reduce 200kg of CO2 released to the environment annually when 2A sand is substituted for CG. Based on the findings of this paper, it is likely that the reduced installation cost, lessened environmental impact and theoretical availability will lead to CG systems becoming more common in New Zealand and abroad.
Keywords
Crushed glass; Carbon emission; Septic discharge; Total Nitrogen
Subject
Engineering, Civil Engineering
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
