2 - Fundamentals

Abstract

The fundamental idea suggested in this chapter is that if the mechanisms by which individual pollutants are incorporated into a waste stream can be identified, analyzed, and described, the most efficient methodology of removal or treatment becomes obvious. The chapter explains the fundamental chemical, physical, and thermodynamic principles by which pollutants become dissolved, suspended, or incorporated into waste streams to form homogeneous or heterogeneous mixtures. Several examples in the chapter illustrate the usefulness of this technique, whereby the fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics can be applied to efficiently deduce appropriate treatment schemes. Industrial wastewater is the aqueous discard that results from substances that have been dissolved or suspended in water, typically during the use of water in an industrial manufacturing process or because of the cleaning activities that take place along with that process. The objective of industrial wastewater treatment is to remove these substances. The best approach for industrial wastewater treatment is to understand how substances are dissolved or suspended in water and then deduce plausible chemical or physical actions that would reverse those processes.