In wastewater treatment, what happens if the polluted water is too acidic or too alkaline?

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Regulation tanks are divided into volume regulation tanks and quality regulation tanks. Their purpose is to ensure that the wastewater treatment process is not affected by fluctuations in wastewater flow rates or concentrations, thereby maintaining the normal operation of the treatment process. A pH regulation tank is a type of quality regulation tank; its function is to adjust the pH value of the raw water using the principles of acid-base balance, so that the water leaving the regulation tank meets the pH requirements specified for the wastewater treatment process. The pH value has the following impacts on wastewater treatment: 1. It affects the biological treatment stage – if the wastewater is too acidic or too alkaline, it can severely impair the activity of microorganisms, leading to a decline in the quality of the treated water. In more severe cases, this can cause the death of microorganisms and disrupt the entire wastewater treatment process. 2. It affects the efficiency of coagulation and sedimentation – the flocculants used in sedimentation tanks also have a specific range of acceptable pH values; either too high or too low a pH level can negatively impact the coagulation and sedimentation processes, thus affecting the quality of the treated water； 3. Impact on water treatment equipment: Both excessive acidity and alkalinity are corrosive; they can damage the equipment and pipelines used in wastewater treatment processes, thereby reducing their service life ； 4. Impact on advanced treatment: When membrane treatment processes are used, excessive acidity can oxidize the membrane elements, leading to oxidation and perforation of these elements, which affects the quality of the treated water or even results in their destruction. Excessive alkalinity can also cause structural issues, leading to blockages in the membrane elements and affecting production; in severe cases, the membrane elements may be destroyed as well! The above information was compiled by Qikang Industry.