The lagooning technique
| The lagooning technique is a natural treatment technique that consists in the accumulation of wastewater in ponds or basins, known as biological or stabilization ponds, where a series of biological, biochemical and physical processes take place. Lagoon is a stationary system having a continuous flow: several ponds working in parallel in which the inlet flow and the outlet flow are equals form lagoon plants. The ponds depth range from 1 to 5 m. Wastewater stays in the ponds from 2 to 10 days in order to be purified. Lagoon purification is very efficient as wastewater treatment method to purify wastewater from small or medium communities and from communities having variable population. Some lagoon plants could be built to purify wastewater produced by food seasonal industries. |
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Biological ponds typesThere are two main categories of biological ponds: anaerobic and oxidation (aerobic) ponds. The ponds are different one from the other in shape, depth, organic rate, level of treatment. A lagoon system generally includes an anaerobic pond and one or more oxidation ponds. The first realizes primary treatment, the second secondary or tertiary treatment. The system is designed according to wastewater features, number of inhabitants served, and quality requirements of the outlet stream, climatic conditions. Before lagooning, wastewater pre-treatment is always provided: grid filtration, oil removal and possibly sand removal. Anaerobic ponds In the anaerobic ponds the conditions are anaerobic, due to the lack of oxygen and light. The anaerobic processes that take place in them destroy and stabilize the organic matter: the organic material removal is about 70%, the suspended solid removal 30% and the bacterial removal in quite low. Oxidation ponds In the oxidation ponds the purification processes are principally aerobic and the oxygen is provided by photosynthetic activity of algae, which grow in them and by the exchange between the pound surface and the ambient air. Purification yields Lagooning purification is more reliable than traditional purification plants: organic compound removal is up to 90%, nutrient substances removal is around 70-90%, the suspended solid particles are lower, due to the presence of micro algae.
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| Building and managing features Lagooning systems are simple to build, not requiring the operation of specialized stuff. They consist of one or more ponds laid out in parallel or in series; the plant scheme can be easily varied to be adapted to different demands. Check also the other natural wastewater treatment techniques: phytodepuration and storage in tanks.
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