Posts
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas produced when organic matter is being broken down by bacteria in absence of oxygen. This procedure is usually referred to as anaerobic digestion and can occur in swamps and sewers. It can also occur naturally as natural gas or in volcanic gases. This gas has a characteristic smell of rotten eggs no wonder the foul smell usually produced by sewers. It is no wonder specialists are concerned with hydrogen sulfide reduction in the sewer system.
With the production of the gas in sewer lines, environmental specialists usually worry about the odor and corrosion troubles. People who live near sewer lines often complain of the odor issue while the municipal usually worries about infrastructure destruction through corrosion. This usually results when water in the system mixes with the gas forming hydro sulfuric acid that corrodes the surfaces.
These negative effects of the gas to sewage system and the environment led to certain control measures to be devised. These measures were to reduce and ultimately control production of this gas. The first method of control is addition of a strong alkali such as magnesium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to the waste water. The effect of this is increase of the sewer pH and thus limited formation of the sulfide gas.
Another way devised to control the odor problems is through addition of chemical compounds also known as chemical treatment. The most used compounds in this treatment are chlorine compounds like sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, ferric chloride and bleach. They are added to the sewage and they oxidize the sulfides hence preventing formation of the gas.
But with this chemical treatment, certain requirements have to be met. First there needs to be a feed system established from which the chemicals are pumped into the waste water. This feed system might take some time and even money to be established. Another thing is that the feeding system needs to be monitored constantly to ensure it is working well. At all times, safety measures must always be considered.
When it comes to corrosion problems there are certain measures that are taken to reduce or prevent this. Increasing ventilation in the sewer infrastructure to prevent break down of organic matter conditions with no oxygen is one way. The other way is through the use of protective coatings on tanks and sewer pipes on their inner part. These coatings are usually composed of tar products, polythene linings, vinyl, cement, plastics and many other materials.
Crown and manhole spraying is yet the other measure used in corrosion control. When the hydro sulfuric acid is forms, it collects mostly at the crown part of the pipe. The effect on this area is intense decomposition leading to weakening of the pipe and in worst cases collapse. Therefore a Sulfa Lock Gel is sprayed on these areas so as to prevent the bad effects of hydro sulfuric acid.
There is also a monitoring instrument known as a liquid phase sulfide meter that monitors the amount of sulfides in industrial wastes. When the sulfide content is beyond the required amount, the industrial discharge undergoes pretreatment before being released to sewer system. All these control strategies used in hydrogen sulfide reduction in sewers work together to prevent corrosion and odors. Scientists are however still coming up with new chemicals and instruments to effectively manage this problem.
With the production of the gas in sewer lines, environmental specialists usually worry about the odor and corrosion troubles. People who live near sewer lines often complain of the odor issue while the municipal usually worries about infrastructure destruction through corrosion. This usually results when water in the system mixes with the gas forming hydro sulfuric acid that corrodes the surfaces.
These negative effects of the gas to sewage system and the environment led to certain control measures to be devised. These measures were to reduce and ultimately control production of this gas. The first method of control is addition of a strong alkali such as magnesium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to the waste water. The effect of this is increase of the sewer pH and thus limited formation of the sulfide gas.
Another way devised to control the odor problems is through addition of chemical compounds also known as chemical treatment. The most used compounds in this treatment are chlorine compounds like sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, ferric chloride and bleach. They are added to the sewage and they oxidize the sulfides hence preventing formation of the gas.
But with this chemical treatment, certain requirements have to be met. First there needs to be a feed system established from which the chemicals are pumped into the waste water. This feed system might take some time and even money to be established. Another thing is that the feeding system needs to be monitored constantly to ensure it is working well. At all times, safety measures must always be considered.
When it comes to corrosion problems there are certain measures that are taken to reduce or prevent this. Increasing ventilation in the sewer infrastructure to prevent break down of organic matter conditions with no oxygen is one way. The other way is through the use of protective coatings on tanks and sewer pipes on their inner part. These coatings are usually composed of tar products, polythene linings, vinyl, cement, plastics and many other materials.
Crown and manhole spraying is yet the other measure used in corrosion control. When the hydro sulfuric acid is forms, it collects mostly at the crown part of the pipe. The effect on this area is intense decomposition leading to weakening of the pipe and in worst cases collapse. Therefore a Sulfa Lock Gel is sprayed on these areas so as to prevent the bad effects of hydro sulfuric acid.
There is also a monitoring instrument known as a liquid phase sulfide meter that monitors the amount of sulfides in industrial wastes. When the sulfide content is beyond the required amount, the industrial discharge undergoes pretreatment before being released to sewer system. All these control strategies used in hydrogen sulfide reduction in sewers work together to prevent corrosion and odors. Scientists are however still coming up with new chemicals and instruments to effectively manage this problem.
About the Author:
The following online page www.petro-genesis.com is one of the most reliable sources of information that explains about hydrogen sulfide reduction. Come and review the published posts by logging on to http://www.petro-genesis.com immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment