Study of wastewater from washing cars of Ambato, province of Tungurahua, Ecuador

Abstract

The following research study is the wastewaters characterization coming from the car washing machines of Ambato, province of Tungurahua. Thus, a field and experimental investigation is carried out that allowed to know the current state that present the washing machines that work in the city. The flow rates of 10 washing machines and the volume occupied in the washing of three types of cars (cars, vans, 4 * 4) was determined. The average volume of water used in the washing of automobile, truck and 4x4 is 88,52 L, 122,49 L and 113,90 L respectively, and it was determined that the volume discharged either to the existing treatments or to the sewage system is 1/3 of the volume used, in this way the volumes come to be unloaded 31,90, 45,80 and 41,10 L according to car, truck and 4 * 4 wash respectively. The physic - chemical parameters of the wastewater coming from the washing of cars were analyzed in the laboratory of the Faculty of Civil and Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Ambato such as oil and fats, COD, BOD, solids present, of wastewaters coming from the car washing machines obtaining results that exceed the maximum permissible limits of the UNIFIED TEXT OF SECONDARY ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION except for the sedimentable solids.

Through an analysis of studies reported in the literature, it was determined that the efficient wastewater treatment processes from car washers are the implementation of screening, sedimentation, aeration, moringa seeds, aquatic plants, filtration, use of coagulants.

Manuscript received: October 8, 2021
Manuscript accepted: December 20, 2021