A conventional pollutant is a term used in the USA to describe a
water pollutant that is amenable to treatment by a municipal
sewage treatment
Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water p ...
plant. A basic list of conventional pollutants is defined in the U.S.
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the primary respo ...
. The list has been amended in regulations issued by the
Environmental Protection Agency:
*
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
*
fecal coliform bacteria
* oil and grease
*
pH (exceeding regulatory limits)
*
total suspended solids (TSS).
The ''Secondary Treatment Regulation'' contains national discharge standards for BOD, pH and TSS, applicable to sewage treatment plants in the U.S.
Treatment Innovations
Existing research has looked at using microalgae systems as an environment-friendly green technology for removal of conventional contaminants in wastewater. Microalgae have been able to eliminate biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), oil and grease, and other pollutants and, simultaneously, produce biomass to be applied for other energy or agricultural use.
See also
*
Secondary treatment
*
Water quality
Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
*
Criteria pollutants, a similar list of pollutants of air
References
Environmental engineering
Water pollution
Water quality indicators
{{Environment-stub