FAQs - Environmental Projects Management Pvt. Ltd.

	Following are answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions that people ask us:

	Who is responsible for “Hazardous Waste” once it leaves the facility?
	Under regulations, whoever generates hazardous waste is responsible for the waste. Likewise if the waste is disposed of but not destroyed, the generator retains liability for that waste forever.

	What volume of sample would be adequate to perform all the tests?
	1-2 liters of sample would be enough to perform all the tests and to repeat some tests if required.

	How sampling of sewage and wastewater should be made?
	Raw sewage samples should be collected after screens or grit chambers. Samples of effluent from primary or secondary sedimentation tanks should be taken from the effluent trough or pipe or ahead of discharge weirs. Influent to trickling filter should be collected below the distribution arm and the effluent from the filter from the outlet chamber or at the inlet to secondary sedimentation tank. point where there is good mixing should be selected for sampling of mixed liquor in aeration tanks in the activated sludge process.

	Who prepares the information and does the sampling as well as other assessments?
	Companies typically hire qualified environmental consultants for conducting any necessary sampling and for completing its assessment.

	What are the parameters for which standards are prescribed?
	Water : pH, Color, BOD, COD, Total Dissolved Solids, Temperature, Suspended Solids, Ammonical Nitrogen, Oil & Grease, Toxicants, Fluorides, Phenol, Cyanides, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Bacteriology, Fical Coliforms and Fluorides. Air: Suspended Particulate Matters, SOx, NOx, HCl, Cl₂, and Ammonia.

	What is the purpose behind laying down standards for pollution control?
	The idea behind laying down standards is basically to control the pollutants released by the various production/industrial activities, by establishing certain standards that are fixed at the threshold level, thereby protecting the overall quality of environment. In some cases the standards are industry specific as well as location specific. RSPM, etc

	Who prescribes the standards for pollution control?
	The standards are prescribed by the Ministry of Environment & Forest and Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

	What is meant by BOD?
	The amount of oxygen (measured in mg/L) that is required for the decomposition of organic matter by single-cell organisms, under aerobic conditions. It is used to measure the amount of organic pollution in wastewater.

	What is meant by COD?
	The amount of oxygen (measured in mg/L) that is consumed in the oxidation of organic and oxidisable inorganic matter, under test conditions. Contrary to BOD, with COD practically all compounds are fully oxidized.

	What is meant by Oil & Grease?
	Oil & Grease is defined as any material recovered as a substance soluble in the solvent. This test is applicable to natural water, domestic wastewater and most industrial wastewater. Oil and grease are major constituents’ unsightly and obnoxious floating matter.

	What is meant by Acidity?
	The quantitative capacity of water to neutralize a base, expressed in ppm or mg/L calcium carbonate equivalent. The number of hydrogen atoms that are present determines this.

	What is meant by Alkalinity?
	Alkalinity means the buffering capacity of water; the capacity of the water to neutralize itself. In water chemistry alkalinity is expressed in ppm or mg/L of equivalent calcium carbonate. Total alkalinity of water is the sum of all three sorts of alkalinity; carbonate bicarbonate and hydroxide alkalinity.

	What is meant by Conductivity?
	The amount of electricity the water can conduct. It is expressed in a chemical magnitude.

	What is meant by Effluent?
	The outlet or outflow of any system that deals with water flows, for an oxidation pond for biological water purification. It is the product water of the given system.

	What is meant by Influent?
	The stream of water that enters any system or treatment unit.

	What is meant by Wastewater?
	The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter.

	Why does water sometimes smell like rotten eggs?
	When water smells like rotten eggs we can conclude that there is hydrogen present, due to a shortage of oxygen in the specific water.

	What is meant by Physical and chemical treatment?
	These are the processes which are generally used in wastewater treatment facilities. Physical processes are for instance filtration whereas Chemical treatment can be coagulation, chlorination, or ozone treatment.

	What is Flocculation?
	It is the accumulation of destabilized particles and micro flakes, and subsequently the formation of sizeable flakes.

	What do you meant by Reverse Osmosis Process?
	In the Reversed Osmosis (RO) process a semi-permeable membrane is used to separate and remove dissolved solids, organics, pyrogens, submicron colloidal matter, viruses, and bacteria from water. The process is called 'reverse' osmosis since it requires pressure to force pure water across a membrane, leaving the impurities behind.

	What is Agglomeration?
	A process of bringing smaller particles together to form a larger mass.

	What is meant by advanced water treatment process?
	The level of water treatment that requires an 85-percent reduction in pollutant concentration, also known as tertiary treatment .It includes the removal of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and a high percentage of suspended solids.

	What is meant by Activated sludge process?
	It is an Oxygen dependent biological process that serves to convert soluble organic matter to solid biomass that is removable by gravity or filtration.

	What is Leaching?
	The process by which soluble constituents are dissolved and filtered through the soil by a percolating fluid.

	What is Municipal discharge?
	Discharge of effluent from wastewater treatment plants, which receive wastewater from households, commercial establishments, and industries in the coastal drainage basin.

	What is Zero discharge water?
	The principle of “zero discharge” is recycling of all industrial wastewater. This means that wastewater will be treated and used again in the process and because of the water reuse wastewater will not be released on the sewer system or surface water.

	What is meant by Overflow rate?
	It is one of the guidelines for design of the settling tanks and clarifiers in a treatment plant to determine if tanks and clarifiers are used enough.

	What are the important Environmental Laws in the Country?
	Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Water- Cess Act, 1977, - Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Public Liability Insurance Act, 1981. National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997. National Environmental Tribunal act, 1995.

	What are the laws enforced by of the Pollution control Boards?
	Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Public Liability Insurance Act, 1981. Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1989. Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous chemicals Rules, 1989. Bio-Medial Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998. Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling), Rules 2000. Plastics Wastes Rules, 1999. Coastal Regulation Zone rules, 1991.

	What is meant by Pollutant?
	A contaminant at a concentration high enough to endanger the life of organisms.

	What is water pollution?
	Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives (in) it. When humans drink polluted water it often has serious effects on their health. Water pollution can also make water unsuited for the desired use.

	How do we detect water pollution?
	Water pollution is detected in laboratories, where small samples of water are analyzed for different contaminants. Living organisms such as fish can also be used for the detection of water pollution. Changes in their behavior or growth show us, that the water they live in is polluted. Specific properties of these organisms can give information on the sort of pollution in their environment..

	What is meant by Flow?
	The discharge rate of a resource, expressed in volume during a certain period of time.

	What is meant by Screening?
	Use of screens to remove coarse floating and suspended solids from sewage

	What is meant by Aeration?
	Technique that is used with water treatment that demands oxygen supply, commonly known as aerobic biological water purification. Either water is brought into contact with water droplets by spraying or air is brought into contact with water by means of aeration facilities. Air is pressed through a body of water by bubbling and the water is supplied with oxygen.

	What is meant by Leachate?
	Water that contains solute substances, so that it contains certain substances in solution after percolation through a filter or soil.

	What is meant by Municipal Sludge?
	Semi liquid residue that remains from the treatment of municipal water and wastewater.

	What is meant by Municipal sewage?
	Liquid wastes, originating from a community. They may have been composed of domestic wastewaters or industrial discharges

	What is Air Pollution?
	Air pollution means the presence of one or more unwanted substances in air. Air pollutants have negative impacts on humans, animals and plants, and on air quality. The most frequently present categories of air pollutants are Sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and small dust particles (aerosols).

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