AP®︎ Environmental Science: Topic 8.11 Flashcards

Staged removal or inactivation of wastewater contaminants before the water is discharged or reused

Physical removal of large debris with screens or grates, followed by settling of solid waste in a tank

Biological treatment in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, with aeration increasing the rate of decomposition

Introducing air or oxygen into wastewater to support aerobic bacteria and accelerate organic-matter decomposition

Ecological or chemical removal of pollutants remaining after primary and secondary treatment, often including nitrogen and phosphorus

Final exposure of treated wastewater to chlorine, ozone, or UV light to kill or inactivate bacteria before discharge

Chemical disinfection that kills microorganisms and leaves a residual that may need removal before discharge

Use of a strong oxidizing agent to disinfect wastewater without leaving the same persistent residual as chlorine

Exposure to UV light that damages microbial genetic material and prevents reproduction without removing solids or nutrients

The amount of oxygen microorganisms require to decompose organic material; abundant biodegradable waste produces high BOD.

Influent is wastewater entering a treatment plant; effluent is treated wastewater leaving it

On-site treatment in which solids settle in a septic tank and liquid flows to a drain field for treatment by soil and microorganisms