Study of water neutralization in an open channel using mixtures of limestone, organic matters and laterite soils
Batu Pahat District with a population of almost 650,000 has encountered water supply woes since year 1999. The water in Sg. Bekok and Sg. Semberong experienced very low level of acidity down to pH 2.5 to 3.0 especially during rainy season. Water treatment plants have to be shut down during the low p...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Published: |
2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/1955/ http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/1955/1/STUDY_OF_WATER_NEUTRALIZATION_MOHAMAD_FAIZAL_TAJUL_2007.pdf |
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| Summary: | Batu Pahat District with a population of almost 650,000 has encountered water supply woes
since year 1999. The water in Sg. Bekok and Sg. Semberong experienced very low level of
acidity down to pH 2.5 to 3.0 especially during rainy season. Water treatment plants have to be
shut down during the low pH thus causing water shortage in Batu Pahat. The water acidification
occurs when the open channels were constructed in Bekok and Semberong basin to improve the
watering system to enable farming activity in the swampy area. Oxidation occurs when pyrite
(FeS2) minerals in the rock were exposed to the air and water to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
which leach out into the river and cause the lowering of the river pH. The purpose of this study
was to neutralize the acidic water using limestone, organic matter and laterite soils in an open
channel experiment which were conducted using a physical model. Two steps of managing the
acidic water were carried out; laterite channel and anaerobic open channel limestone
incorporated with organic matter. The experiments were conducted in four stages, namely
experiment A, experiment B, experiment C and experiment D where each experiment consist of
different composition of limestone, organic matter and laterite soils. Each material had its own
function in neutralizing the acidic water. Limestone was the main material that acts as buffer to
neutralize the acidic water. Laterite was use to prevent the iron in the pyrite from combining with
the limestone that will decrease the efficiency of the limestone to neutralize the acidic water. The
organic matter contains bacteria that will consume the oxygen in the water to provide the
anaerobic condition. The results indicated that experiment D with the combinations of 80%
limestone, 18% laterite soil and 2% organic matter was the optimum materials ratio to increase
the pH of the water to pH of around 8 in the shortest time. The results of the study can be used to
design the remediation process to increase the pH of the acidic water to neutral in the shortest
possible time therefore meeting the pH requirement of the raw water quality at the intake. |
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