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Introduction
Tyndall Air Force Base, located in the Panhandle of Florida near the city of Mexico Beach, has experienced increased damage from an unknown fibrous substance present in their waste water distribution system. This substance is costing the base nearly $3,000 per week to remove. Characteristics of the solid include an oily appearance and unusual buoyancy, as well as continual growth when exposed to air. This has ruled out traditional forms of residential wastewater issues. Recent concerns in wastewater distribution systems include the use of flushable wipes which have led to major clogging within main sewer lines and caked substances on sewer filters. This research seeks to characterize waste samples from lift station #1722 at Tyndall Air Force Base and compare them to three commercially available products in order to determine if consumer product break down is present.
Methods
Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging along with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy will be used to identify surface characteristics, topography, and elements present within the samples. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy along with X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy will be used to verify chemical constituents to supplement data. Three products on the market, Scrubbing Bubbles Antibacterial Bathroom Flushable Wipes, Cottonelle Flushable Cleansings Cloths, and Air Wick V.I. Poo Toilet Perfume, were chosen based on common ingredients found in similar consumer products, claims on industry standard technology, and breakdown ability. Experiments were run with the use of a shaker table and magnetic stir bar to simulate pipe water flow agitation. The samples produced from these three products will undergo the same characterization analysis and will be compared to that of the actual wastewater samples.
Results
Initial results indicate that the wastewater samples from the base are composed of fibrous substances that are less dense than water. Simulations indicated that one of the three products experienced breakdown. |
