Muthanna Journal of Engineering and Technology
Volume (5), Issue (3), Year (30 December 2017), Pages (67-76)
DOI:10.52113/3/eng/mjet/2017-05-03/67-76
Research Article By:
Isam Alyaseri and Wissam Al-Madi
Corresponding author E-mail: ialyase@gmail.com & ialyase@siu.edu
ABSTRACT
During last four decades, Iraq had faced multiple political crisis which reduced its ability to encounter emerging environmental problems. As of now, wastewater contamination is one problem that the country is lacking proper infrastructures capable of dealing with. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment plants in the country over time. Barakia wastewater treatment plant is one of the major wastewater treatment plants in Al-Najaf province in Iraq. The plant was taken as a case study to test the trend of the environmental performance. Parameters of BOD5, COD, TSS, PO4, NO3, NH3, O&G, H2S, and CL- were used to test the performance. Ten years data were collected and evaluated. The plant showed downward ability to reduce contaminants efficiently, and recently, the plant turned to be one of the major polluters in the province. Overloading of the plant beyond its design capacity, high frequent power outage, absence of retrofitting advanced treatment such as filtration and nutrients removal, and lack of maintenance and repair parts were the main causes of the plant’s poor performance. Iraq, due to its current economic situation may need an international assistance to reverse this trend of degradation.
Keywords: Developing countries, Iraq, river contamination, performance of wastewater treatment.