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KC47003 Water Pollution & Wastewater Treatment
Lecture 1: Water Pollution &
Regulation
Dr Abu Zahrim Yaser
Ph.D. (Swansea, Wales)
M.Sc. (UKM)
B.Eng. (Malaya)
Contents
Pollution: Colour, Nutrients
Sources of pollution: Point vs. Non-point
Regulation
Scenario in Malaysia
Total River: 1800
Polluted river: ~900
Sreenivasan et al. (2012) Solid Waste Management in Malaysia A Move Towards
Sustainability. Intech Publication.
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Taken from Yeoh, Idris & Ong, 1988
Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)
Colour
Public perception
Inhibits the growth of marine organisms by
reducing the penetration of sunlight
May chelate with metal ions and thus become
directly toxic to aquatic biota
Humic substances will react with chlorine in
drinking water treatment and produces
carcinogenic by-products such as
trihalomethanes
Substances derived from lignin in POME can
possibly inhibit embryonic development in
marine organisms
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Treated POME
Nutrients N and P
Excessive amount lead to large growth of
unwanted plant such as algae and water
hyacinth; when die becoming oxygen
demanding material
Nitrite reacts with haemoglobin, preventing it
from carrying oxygen
Should we consider the removal of N and P?
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Nitrogen cycle
Ammonia punca loji air Cheras
ditutup (Berita Harian, 5 Feb 2014)
Kuala Lumpur: Loji Rawatan Air (LRA) Cheras
Batu 11 yang mula beroperasi Ahad lalu
terpaksa ditutup semula semalam selepas
kandungan amnonia meningkat kembali
daripada paras dibenarkan. Kandungan
ammonia di loji berkenaan meningkat ke paras
6.4 bahagian setiap sejuta (ppm) pada jam 8
pagi semalam berbanding kadar dibenarkan
1.5 ppm.
Point sources
Untreated wastewater from population centres
and industries (if there is collection system).
Population centres
Black water: Human waste, usually from
lavatories.
Grey water: Washing water (dishes, clothes,
personal etc)
Industries
Drainage
Cooling waters
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Non-point sources
Multiple discharge point: e.g. agricultural
runoff, landfill runoff
Require major engineering works
Non-point sources
Oil, grease, chemicals, pet wastes, faulty
septic systems (urban areas), fertilizers,
pesticides, salt, pathogens from livestock
operations (agricultural lands) and sediment
(forest lands).
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NPS pollution causes:
Eutrophication of lakes and streams (loss
of biodiversity in an aquatic
environment).
Soil contamination by heavy metals and
the accumulation of pesticide residues in
food.
Contribute to land degradation and
causes arable land to be unproductive.
Regulation
Akta Kualiti Alam Sekeliling 1974 Peraturan-
Peraturan Kualiti Alam Sekeliling (Efluen
Perindustrian) 2009. (Refer pg. 3980 BM
version)
Not applicable to palm oil mill processing,
rubber processing, mining, effluent less than
60 m3/day etc. (Refer pg 3972 & 3973 BM
version).
Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises)
(Crude Palm Oil) Regulations (1984-)
Parameter Limit
pH 5-9
BOD3, mg/l 100
COD, mg/l -
TS, mg/l -
SS, mg/l 400
O & G, mg/l 50
Ammoniacal nitrogen, mg/l 100
Total nitrogen, mg/l -
Temperature, 0C 45
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Federal Government Gazette: Environmental Quality
(Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) Regulations
201X (July 2015 - October 2015)
Limit according to discharge period
Available until 30th June 2016 1st July 2016 - 31st 1st July 2020 - onwards
Parameter
December 2019
Biological oxygen demand (BOD3)
3-days, 30 oC; mg/L
100 50 20
Suspended solids; mg/L
400 200 200
Oil and Grease; mg/L
50 5 5
Ammoniacal nitrogen; mg/L
150 20 20
pH
5.0 - 9.0 5.0 - 9.0 5.0 - 9.0
Temperature; oC
45 45 45
Colour (ADMI unit)
- 100 100
