Wastewater Treatment of Mariout Lake Drains Using Combined Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods in Microcosm Experiments

Abstract

The treatment of wastewater is a must due to the decrease of clean water and the increase in the consumption of fresh water for domestic uses. This study discusses the physical, chemical, and biological treatments of water from different types of Mariout Lake drains. It also aims at a designation of appropriate wastewater treatment process for sewage water (El-Qalah drain), agriculture water (El-Umoum drain), and raw drinking water before treatment (Nubareya canal) so as to adopt an appropriate procedure to be applied as the drains discharge their wastewaters in Mariout Lake affecting its water quality as well as its fish productivity. Obtaining secure effluents for discharge in natural water bodies (El-Mex bay), or using treated effluents in agriculture or industrial purposes, is a target too, open for estimation. Alum, aeration beside two natural medicinal plants, piper nigrum (Black Pepper) and dry ginger (Zingiber officinalis), and the eukaryotic microorganism yeast, were used for treatment, in addition to the freshwater submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum.

The results of the physicochemical parameters revealed that the best material for treatment in El-Qalaa sewage drain was by Alum + Aeration + Ginger + Ceratophylum demersum.

The most preferable material for both the raw drinking water of Nubareya canal and El-Umoum agricultural wastewater was Alum + Aeration + Yeast + Ceratophylum demersum.

Regarding the four trace metals' (Zn, Pb, Fe, and Cu) concentration treatments, the best treatment in all cases was found to be Alum + Aeration + Yeast + Ceratophylum demersum, except for Zn in El-Qalaa sewage water which had to be treated by Alum + Aeration + Ginger + Ceratophylum demersum.