Rates and Mechanisms of Chemical Reactions during Flow of Secondary Treated Sewage Effluent through Porous Beds

Citation

Uradnisheck, Julius, III (1975) Rates and Mechanisms of Chemical Reactions during Flow of Secondary Treated Sewage Effluent through Porous Beds. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/9w4g-z504. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:03052024-183600060

Abstract

A general theory is formulated, based on extensive experimental and theoretical work, concerning the variation of chemical species in the top aerated horizon of the soil associated with the intermittent percolation of a secondary treated sewage effluent containing aqueous ammonium ions.

Experimental data are presented to show that the variation of aqueous cations in inorganic percolating solutions is a result of the consecutive steps of rapid ion exchange of cations from the electric double layer followed by slow ion exchange of chemisorbed cations diffusing through aluminosilicate mineral structures.

High concentrations of alkaline earth salts in interstitially held solutions when the granitic sand is drained of solution are shown to be a result of desorption of cations from the sand by aqueous hydrogen ions generated by the conversion of adsorbed ammonium ions to nitrite ions by Nitrosomonas. Only a slight amount of mineral dissolution is shown to occur. Data are also presented to show that when a solution is again percolated through the sand, hydrogen ion desorption is accompanied by only minimal nitrification.

A mathematical model is presented to predict the variation of aqueous calcium, magnesium, sodium, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, oxygen, acidity, and bicarbonate ions as well as the bacterial population densities, adsorbed cations, and gaseous constituency of a soil column and solution as an intermittent percolation process is operated.

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