Environmental Forensics URGENT - Essay Example

Name: Admission Date: Introduction Industrial processes Environmental hazards such as that of Styxton massive fish kill should be investigated with immediacy. Since there are three possible sources of the environmental hazard, it is prudent to understand the processes and possible sources of trouble from the processes involved for each of the plants. There are three industries namely the Riverside Brewery produces a selection of real ales, Styxton Sewage Plant that uses old methods and ABChemicals which produces methylmercury. First, an understanding of the industrial process that is used to make real ale is made. First, the ingredients then the process. The ingredients include water, starch source, commonly barley grain which is malted. Hops are used for flavoring, Yeast as a fermenting agent, which includes saccharomyces cerevisiae and the saccharomyces uvarum. Clarifying agents which are used to precipitate and includes isinglass, irish moss, carrageenan, polyclar and gelatin. The brewing process involves malting. Grain is added to a vat with water for germination and then dried after germination. The malt is ten milled and then mashed to produce wort which is full of sugar. Herbs and sugars are added. Eventually, the boiling process to terminate precipitate proteins, isomerize hop resins and to sterilize hop. The wort is cooled and yeast added in the fermentation tank where sugar is turned into alcohol, carbon dioxide and solid matter, commonly called brewers grain. Dimethyl sulfide is one of the vapours produced during boiling and after boiling, the solid particles are separated in the whirlpool. After the fermentation process, beer conditioned/matured for a period determined by the brewer. If not conditioned carefully, such harmful compounds such as acetylaldehyde can form. After beer is conditioned, it is then bottled or casked and ready for sale. Some of the byproducts of ale production include spent grain, or filtration sediment. Water used for washing of the grains and cleaning process is treated accordingly and then discharged. The second is an understanding of the industrial process of treating sewage. First, the sewage goes to the treatment center. The treatment involves three stages including the primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. The first stage is the screening stage which removes large objects such as clothing, bottles and plastics that would otherwise block or damage equipment. Grit is also removed at this stage. The second stage is the primary treatment. This involves separation of organic solid matter done by putting wastewater into large settlement tanks for solids to sink (sludge), and the sludge is eventually pumped out for further treatment. The rest of the water then moves to the secondary treatment. This is the third stage. This involves pumping air into the water to encourage bacteria breakdown sludge that may have escaped sludge scrapping process. The secondary stage uses indigenous microorganisms water-borne for water treatment, which may require separation process to remove the microorganism prior to discharging. After that, the final stage, which is the tertiary stage. This stage is described as anything more than primary and secondary stages to allow rejection of the water into sensitive ecosystems including rivers. It includes water disinfection chemically prior to discharge. It therefore follows that the action taken depends on the presumed contents of the sewage. The most basic involves settling of the wastewater to remove more sludge. Water is presumed free from harmful chemicals. The third process to consider is the industrial process to manufacture methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is produced through methylation process, whether industrially or otherwise. Both the industrial and natural methylation depnd on the organic properties of mercury. Industrial production of methyl mercury is a chemical methylation process which known as abiotic process. In this process, a methyl donor. The most common industrial compound used is the methylcobalamin. The methyl donor reacts through a photochemical process with the most oxidized mercury specie in thus methylating the mercury. The products for this reaction is the methylmercury and dimethylmercury. The PH is controlled to maintain an acidic PH for faster reaction. Such organotin compunds as metyltin species are used. From the reaction chamber, methylmercury is very carefully packed and transported. The production process involves piped transportation of the chemicals and finished products from one point of treatment to another. Used process chemicals are then discharged (Clampet, 2010). An understanding of the processes is key to understanding the possible contaminants and hence effects on water quality and aquatic life. Possible contaminants Possible contaminants from Riverside Brewery include yeast, carbon dioxide, alcohol itself, clarifying agent, acetylaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, brewers grain, and hops. Determination of the possible contaminants from the Styxton Sewage Plant is based on the Plant’s situation. The possible contaminants, based on the Plant’s lack of modern methods include row sewage, untreated chemicals from the industrial plants, biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), PH, Coliform bacteria, metals, grit, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Contaminants from ABChemicals include the methylmercury itself, methylcobalamin, dimethylmercury , acidic PH. Carbon dioxide suffocates fish and most animals. Similarly, solid material suffocate fish and living organisms. Untreated sewage causes carbon dioxide , solid material. BOD causes suffocation to living organisms. Methylmercury causes effects such as behavioral, neurochemical, hormonal and reproductive changes to living organisms including fish. Pharmaceutical products would easily lead to sudden death. PH increase would lead to massive fish kills especially for the fresh water fish. Considering all the contaminants, those that would cause sudden death include poisoning from chemicals, BOD, carbon dioxide, pharmaceuticals and suffocation by solid. The discharge temperature is also a possible contaminant if not cooled before discharge. This forms the basis of what to be analysed. Determination of the contaminants and their impact is relevant in identifying the one that was the source of the problem. This is one of the most important steps in environmental forensics of this kind. From the situation at hand, the possible contaminants that should be analysed include those with solid material and that the accompanying causes possibly including BOD, solid suffocation, chemical poisoning, and grit. In this regard therefore, based on the possible contaminants identified , the current levels of contaminant are useful in the analysis. Based on this situation, and a consideration of the cost and time, samples of water and biologics can be sufficient in determining the main cause of the environmental hazard. What to analyse Biological methods are an immediate method. The most preferred biological technique in this case is the controlled biotests. This is based on measuring toxic effects, which in this case is the death of the trouts under certain conditions. In this case, the main biological monitoring is the single species, acute toxicity test in the laboratory would appropriate for the rainbow trouts since the largest affected aquatic entity is a single species, the rainbow trout. Apart from the biologic approach, water analysis is another of the of the method most appropriate since it is most likely that the death was due to a sudden environmental change. Given the underlying ecological conditions of the trout, acidity test would be the main water analysis method to be considered. Oxidative stress in the trouts cannot be ruled out completely since it’s one major cause of death of aquatic organisms; more particularly environmentally induced oxidative stress. Sampling In order to carry out the tests, sampling techniques should be applied for each of the two methods selected. For biologics, the main sampling technique that would be effective is collecting the fish by use of fish trap to capture any live trouts either downstream or upstream of the dead fish. Net trapping is cheap and less destructive. Live trouts would be subject to certain conditions they are most sensitive to, including raising acidity, temperature tests, oxygen reduction. Increasing acidity is cheaper and less time consuming. It’s equally easier to perform in the laboratory test. The level of detection sensitivity is very high since the trouts cannot live beyond the ecological systems its body is designed to. In water analysis, water is collected from the scene where the dead trouts are witnessed. This water is then subject to acidity test. Based on the environmental effect on a single species, the water analysis for acidity and the biologic test are the most appropriate given the ecological conditions that trouts are most sensitive to. Water temperature is also a necessary test to do since it’s not monitored regularly yet trouts are sensitive to temperature. The sample collection techniques cannot affect the planned analysis because they are both cheap, easier and timely when it comes to testing time and therefore no modifications should be made to the designed system to work. Analysis As described earlier, the analysis methods that would be most appropriate include temperature and acidity of the water. Phenol Red pH test Kit would be appropriate for the acidity test since it’s cheaper and ready to use. Water temperature can be easily determined by water surface thermometers. As far as the situation is concerned, the measures taken would be sufficient. The measures are time effective since they do not require a lot of time for observation. The testing methodologies are also cheap and would therefore be the most sufficient for in response to this situation. They are therefore the most recommended in terms of time and cost considerations. References Brosha, E. "Amperometric Oxygen Sensors Based On Dense Tb–Y–Zr–O Electrodes". Solid State Ionics, vol 109, no. 1-2, 1998, pp. 73-80. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/s0167-2738(98)00102-7. Maitland, Peter S. "Biological Monitoring Of Fish". Biological Conservation, vol 23, no. 3, 1982, pp. 243-244. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/0006-3207(82)90078-7. Maitland, Peter S. "Biological Monitoring Of Fish". Biological Conservation, vol 23, no. 3, 1982, pp. 243-244. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/0006-3207(82)90078-7. Wagner, Elmar. Optical Sensors. 1st ed., Weinheim, VCH, 1992,. Read More

The second is an understanding of the industrial process of treating sewage. First, the sewage goes to the treatment center. The treatment involves three stages including the primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. The first stage is the screening stage which removes large objects such as clothing, bottles and plastics that would otherwise block or damage equipment. Grit is also removed at this stage. The second stage is the primary treatment. This involves separation of organic solid matter done by putting wastewater into large settlement tanks for solids to sink (sludge), and the sludge is eventually pumped out for further treatment.

The rest of the water then moves to the secondary treatment. This is the third stage. This involves pumping air into the water to encourage bacteria breakdown sludge that may have escaped sludge scrapping process. The secondary stage uses indigenous microorganisms water-borne for water treatment, which may require separation process to remove the microorganism prior to discharging. After that, the final stage, which is the tertiary stage. This stage is described as anything more than primary and secondary stages to allow rejection of the water into sensitive ecosystems including rivers.

It includes water disinfection chemically prior to discharge. It therefore follows that the action taken depends on the presumed contents of the sewage. The most basic involves settling of the wastewater to remove more sludge. Water is presumed free from harmful chemicals. The third process to consider is the industrial process to manufacture methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is produced through methylation process, whether industrially or otherwise. Both the industrial and natural methylation depnd on the organic properties of mercury.

Industrial production of methyl mercury is a chemical methylation process which known as abiotic process. In this process, a methyl donor. The most common industrial compound used is the methylcobalamin. The methyl donor reacts through a photochemical process with the most oxidized mercury specie in thus methylating the mercury. The products for this reaction is the methylmercury and dimethylmercury. The PH is controlled to maintain an acidic PH for faster reaction. Such organotin compunds as metyltin species are used.

From the reaction chamber, methylmercury is very carefully packed and transported. The production process involves piped transportation of the chemicals and finished products from one point of treatment to another. Used process chemicals are then discharged (Clampet, 2010). An understanding of the processes is key to understanding the possible contaminants and hence effects on water quality and aquatic life. Possible contaminants Possible contaminants from Riverside Brewery include yeast, carbon dioxide, alcohol itself, clarifying agent, acetylaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, brewers grain, and hops.

Determination of the possible contaminants from the Styxton Sewage Plant is based on the Plant’s situation. The possible contaminants, based on the Plant’s lack of modern methods include row sewage, untreated chemicals from the industrial plants, biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), PH, Coliform bacteria, metals, grit, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Contaminants from ABChemicals include the methylmercury itself, methylcobalamin, dimethylmercury , acidic PH. Carbon dioxide suffocates fish and most animals.

Similarly, solid material suffocate fish and living organisms. Untreated sewage causes carbon dioxide , solid material. BOD causes suffocation to living organisms. Methylmercury causes effects such as behavioral, neurochemical, hormonal and reproductive changes to living organisms including fish. Pharmaceutical products would easily lead to sudden death. PH increase would lead to massive fish kills especially for the fresh water fish. Considering all the contaminants, those that would cause sudden death include poisoning from chemicals, BOD, carbon dioxide, pharmaceuticals and suffocation by solid.

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