Characterization and treatability of hydroblast wastewater

At the present time, there are no effluent guidelines or treatment requirements for wastewater discharges resulting from the practice of hydroblasting, unless hydroblasting is performed in a graving dock. Little is known regarding actual quantities and components of hydroblasting wastewaters which could be used to determine whether regulation or treatment of this wastewater is feasible or desired. This thesis has two goals. The first is to characterize hydroblasting wastewaters in terms of standard water quality parameters (e.g., total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity) and the heavy metals and tributyltin they are likely to carry. The second objective is, based on the hydroblast water's characteristics, devise and investigate the feasibility of simple treatment processes that could be used to perform on-site wastewater treatment. (KT/KR)