APES sewage treatment steps key terms
Study key terms and processes related to sewage treatment in environmental science for the AP exam, covering essential steps and vocabulary.
Quiz(32 questions)
1. What is the main goal of secondary sewage treatment?
Terms in this Study Set(32)
Sewage Treatment Processes(20)
What is the primary purpose of sewage treatment?
To remove contaminants from wastewater before it is released into the environment.
List the main steps in sewage treatment.
- Primary Treatment - Secondary Treatment - Tertiary Treatment
True or False: Primary treatment removes biological matter.
False - Primary treatment primarily removes solids and sediment, not biological matter.
What occurs during primary treatment of sewage?
Sedimentation of solids and removal of large debris.
Fill in the blank: Secondary treatment mainly involves __________.
biological processes to degrade organic matter.
Cause → Effect: What happens during secondary treatment?
Organic matter is biologically oxidized, reducing BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand).
How does tertiary treatment differ from primary and secondary?
Tertiary treatment involves advanced processes to remove remaining contaminants, such as nutrients.
What is BOD?
Biochemical Oxygen Demand - a measure of the amount of oxygen required by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water.
True or False: Tertiary treatment often includes filtration and disinfection.
True - It aims to further purify water before discharge.
Compare primary and secondary treatment.
Primary: physical removal of solids. Secondary: biological breakdown of organic materials.
What is the role of aeration in sewage treatment?
Aeration introduces air to encourage microbial growth for breaking down organic substances.
What does chlorination do in sewage treatment?
It disinfects water by killing pathogens before release.
List one advantage of using activated sludge in treatment.
Efficient biological treatment with high rates of organic matter removal.
Fill in the blank: The final effluent must meet __________ standards before discharge.
regulatory water quality standards.
What is the purpose of a clarifier in sewage treatment?
To separate treated wastewater from remaining sludge and solids.
How is sludge treated after primary treatment?
Sludge is often digested anaerobically to reduce volume and stabilize material.
What is effluent?
Treated water that is discharged from a sewage treatment facility.
True or False: Sedimentation is only used in primary treatment.
False - Sedimentation can also occur in secondary treatment processes.
How do constructed wetlands assist in sewage treatment?
They use natural processes involving wetland vegetation to treat wastewater.
What does the term 'nutrient removal' refer to in sewage treatment?
The process of eliminating excess nitrogen and phosphorus to prevent eutrophication.
Key Terminology(12)
What is BOD?
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) measures the amount of oxygen required for microbial decomposition of organic matter in water.
What does TSS stand for?
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) refers to solid particles suspended in water that can affect water quality and treatment efficiency.
True or False: Activated sludge is a treatment method that uses microorganisms.
True. Activated sludge processes use microorganisms to digest organic waste in sewage treatment.
Fill in the blank: The __________ process uses chemicals to remove contaminants.
Chemical treatment.
What is the primary purpose of disinfection in sewage treatment?
To kill pathogens and prevent waterborne diseases before effluent is released into the environment.
Compare primary and secondary treatment.
Primary treatment removes solids; secondary treatment uses biological processes to degrade organic matter.
What are effluents?
Effluents are treated wastewater discharged from sewage treatment plants into bodies of water.
Cause → Effect: High BOD levels lead to __________.
Decreased dissolved oxygen, harming aquatic life.
What is the significance of pH in water quality?
pH affects the solubility of contaminants and the health of aquatic organisms; neutral pH (7) is ideal.
True or False: Sewage sludge is the solid residue from treatment processes.
True. Sewage sludge contains organic and inorganic materials that require further processing.
What does filtration do in sewage treatment?
Filtration removes remaining solids and particles after primary and secondary treatments, improving water clarity.
What does the term 'nutrient removal' refer to?
Processes in sewage treatment aimed at removing nitrogen and phosphorus to prevent eutrophication in water bodies.
Questions in this Study Set(32)
1. What is the main goal of secondary sewage treatment?
2. What does the term 'BOD' stand for?
3. Which of the following steps is NOT part of tertiary treatment?
4. Which of the following best describes Total Suspended Solids (TSS)?
5. During which treatment stage is aeration primarily used?
6. True or False: Chemical treatment is primarily used to kill pathogens in sewage.
7. What does the term 'effluent' refer to?
8. Fill in the blank: The __________ process involves microorganisms to treat sewage.
9. True or False: Primary treatment includes the removal of dissolved nutrients.
10. What is the main objective of disinfection in sewage treatment?
11. In what way do constructed wetlands assist in sewage treatment?
12. Which treatment stage primarily focuses on removing large solids from sewage?
13. What is the purpose of chlorination in sewage treatment?
14. What are effluents in the context of sewage treatment?
15. Which of the following best describes BOD?
16. Cause → Effect: High BOD levels in water can lead to __________.
17. Which process is used to reduce the volume of sludge after primary treatment?
18. Why is pH important in assessing water quality?
19. True or False: Nutrient removal is only important in primary treatment.
20. True or False: Sewage sludge is the liquid waste remaining after treatment processes.
21. How does sedimentation help in wastewater treatment?
22. What does filtration accomplish in sewage treatment?
23. Which treatment step usually follows primary treatment?
24. What does 'nutrient removal' aim to achieve in sewage treatment?
25. What type of bacteria is primarily involved in secondary sewage treatment?
26. Fill in the blank: Tertiary treatment may include __________ to ensure water quality.
27. Which of the following is an effect of high BOD in wastewater?
28. What occurs in the clarifier during sewage treatment?
29. Which is NOT a common method of disinfection in wastewater treatment?
30. What is the role of activated sludge in sewage treatment?
31. How can nutrient removal help prevent environmental issues?
32. Which of the following processes primarily involves biological treatment to break down organic material?
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