Department of Civil Engineering , IIT Delhi (India)

CVL100: Environmental Science (Second Semester 2014-15)

(Dr. Arun Kumar; Email: arunku@civil.iitd.ac.in)
Homework 1
Do not submit. Please mention your assumptions explicitly.
Q1. List three contaminants- of- your- concern in water, air and solid media. (1+1+1 =3 points)
Q2. Define physical, chemical and biological parameters? List names of two parameters in water and
indicate their significance. (2*3+2=8 points)
Q3. From your I.I.T. Delhi library, find out three journals in the area of environmental engineering? (3
points)
Q4. Provide estimate of your daily water consumption in different forms (activity-water consumed-water
type-water source) and provide three options to optimize your daily water consumption pattern. (3 +3
=6 points)
Q5. In 100 g/L C2H12O6 solution, do following:
1. Write a balanced reaction between organic compound and oxygen to produce CO2 and H2O.
2. Calculate number of moles of oxygen required to completely react with organic compound?
3. Calculate concentration (g/L) of oxygen required to completely react with organic compound?
(This is called theoretical oxygen demand) (2+1+1 points)
Q6. Say a raw wastewater sample from WWTP1 has 2000 mg/L 5-day BOD (due to carbon only) with
reaction constant (k=0.23/day at 20C). Calculate ultimate BOD; amounts of BOD exerted on 1- and 15day and comment on observed differences between 1- and 15-day BOD values (1.5 +1+1+1.5 = 5 points)
Answer
5-day BOD = 2000 mg/L (due to carbon only); k=0.23/day
L(5)= L(0) [1-e(-k*5)] = 2000 mg/L= L(0) [1-e(-0.23*5)]
=> Ultimate BOD L (0) =2926 mg/L (answer)

BOD(mg/L)

time(day) t-day
BOD
(mg/L)
1
601
15
2834
Here BOD (1day) is smaller than BOD (15 days) and BOD (15 days) is reaching towards ultimate BOD.
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0

50

100

150

time(days)

Q7. Balance these equations, which are generally used to determine nitrogen-based BOD, to write the
final balanced equation and also calculate number of moles of oxygen required for reacting with one mole
of ammonia.
(1+1+0.5*2 points)
NH3 +O2
NO2- + H+ + H2O (1a)
NO2- +O2 + H+
NO3- + H+ (1b)
Answer:
Balanced equation: NH3 +2O2
HNO3 + H2O
1 mole of ammonia (i.e., 17 g) reacts with 2 moles of oxygen (i.e., 2*32=64 g). So, two moles of oxygen
required for reacting with one mole of ammonia.
Q8. In addition of using BOD, organic matter in wastewater is also expressed using chemical oxygen
demand (COD; unit: mg/L) and total organic carbon (TOC; unit: mg/L). Given that in an untreated
domestic wastewater, the BOD5/COD ratio varies between 0.4 and 0.8 and the BOD5/TOC ratio
varies between 1 and 1.6. Using the BOD5 (20C) value from Q6, calculate ranges of COD and TOC
for the WWTP1 raw wastewater?
Answer
5-day BOD = 2000 mg/L (due to carbon only)
COD
(2000/0.8) to (2000/0.4 ) mg/L
TOC
(2000/1.6) to (2000/1.0 ) mg/L

Q9. What is the numerical relationship between 5-day BOD values and reaction rate constants?
Qualitatively, arrange 5-day BOD values calculated using reaction rate constants (k) = 0.50 (say k1), 0.23
(say k2), and 0.30 (say k3) (unit: 1/day).
Answer:
Assume ultimate BOD= 1000 mg/L (For calculation purposes)
k value (1/day)
5-day BOD(mg/L) (ranked from low to high values)
0.23
683
0.3
775
0.5
918

5-day BOD(mg/L)

1000
800
600
400
200
0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Reaction constant (1/day)

Q10. If the wastewater effluent given in Q6 has 50 mg/L ammonia also, calculate total amount of oxygen
required to oxidize both nitrogen- and carbon- based compounds biologically? (Hint: Ammonia reacts
with oxygen to make nitric acid and water.)

Answer
As 1 mole of ammonia (i.e., 17 g) reacts with 2 moles of oxygen (i.e., 2*32=64 g), so 50 mg/L ammonia
(i.e., 50 *0.001 g/L/(17 g/mole)=0.00294 moles/L) requires = 2/1*0.00294=0.00588 moles/L oxygen (or
0.00588*32 g/L=188 mg/L).
Total amount of oxygen required to oxidize both carbon and nitrogen
= (2926 mg/L) + (188 mg/L)
=3114 mg/L oxygen (answer)
Q11. How does carbon dioxide dissolution in lake water affect algal bloom?
Answer:
When carbon dioxide dissolves in lake water it would increase carbon dioxide level in water (if it were
undersaturated). Correspondingly, it would increase algal growth, given sufficient nutrients are available.
As CO2 dissolution influences solution pH as well, it might affect algal growth if pH change does not
provide growing environment to algae.
Q12. Calculate carboneous and nitrogenous oxygen demand in mg/L if the sample has 300 mg/L of acetic
acid as well as glycine (CH2NH2COOH)?
Hint:
CH3COOH+(2)O2  2CO2+ 2H2O
(i.e., 1 mole of acetic acid requires 2 moles of oxygen. Now calculate COD values as per previous HW
and quiz.)
CH2NH2COOH+(1.5)O2  2CO2+NH3+ H2O
(i.e., 1 mole of glycine requires 1.5 moles of oxygen. Now calculate COD values as per previous HW and
quiz. Here this COD will be combination of organic matter and nitrogen-related oxygen demand.)
Q13. Balance the following equation and calculate number of moles of oxygen required for completely
oxidizing 100 mg/L of benzene, 100 mg/L glucose solution?
(Equation: C6H6 +O2
CO2 + H2O )
(5+10+10 points)
Q14. Define physical, chemical and biological parameters? List names of two parameters in water
and indicate their significance. (2*3+2=8 points)
Hint: See lecture notes
Q15. Provide estimate of your daily water consumption in different forms (activity-water
consumed-water type-water source) and provide three options to optimize your daily water
consumption pattern. (3 +3 =6 points)