Plant-specific correlations to predict the total VOC emissions from wastewater treatment plants

Simple linear correlations between the lumped parameter of raw wastewater flow rate, mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), and concentration of three volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene in the liquid and gas phases, Q×MLSS(Cin/ER)Q×MLSS(Cin/ER), and T, wastewater temperature, were found for three large wastewater treatment plants operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) using their monthly data for year 2000. These linear relationships were verified for these three dominant VOCs using the data from years 1987 to 1992, 1998, and 1999 for the three MWRDGC plants. The results of this theoretical study showed that linear functions could reasonably fit to the actual data, and the specific VOC compounds’ emission rate could be predicted upon having information on ambient temperature, MLSS, and VOC concentration in the liquid phase at the influent to the specific plant without having to use the Bay Area Sewage Toxics Emission (BASTE) fate model as a future emission estimator once the baseline correlation was determined.