Application of Innovative Treatment Technologies with Small Footprint to Fight against Mucilage and Water Recovery

by Muhammed Raşit Çevikalp | Dec 19, 2022

Project Title: Application of Innovative Treatment Technologies with Small Footprint to Fight against Mucilage and Water Recovery
Project Type: TÜBİTAK Project
Project Coordinator: Doç. Dr. Hale Özgün

The mucilage problem in the Marmara Sea poses an important threat to the marine ecosystem. The main reason for mucilage formation due to human activities is the high pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus) load caused by municipal and industrial wastewater discharged into the Marmara Sea without adequate treatment. In this project, aerobic granular activated sludge (AGS) process, which is an innovative wastewater treatment technology, was used to reduce the pollution loads originating from wastewater discharge. Moreover, AGS effluent quality increased with advanced wastewater treatment methods (membrane processes and ultraviolet disinfection), and reuse potential of reclaimed wastewater was investigated for irrigation and industrial processes.

According to results of water reuse studies for irrigation, high pollutant removal efficiencies were obtained in GAC+MF+UV and GAC+UF+UV configurations and the use of the reclaimed water as green field irrigation, agricultural irrigation and public use was analyzed. When the configurations investigated in water reuse studies for agricultural irrigation are evaluated in terms of cost-effectiveness, it is concluded that the GAC+MF+UV option is less costly.

Within the scope of industrial water reuse studies, it was found that the effluents obtained from the GAC+MF+RO and GAC+UF+RO configurations met the limit values given in the standards. When cost analysis was applied for the configurations under study, it was concluded that the GAC+MF+RO configuration has lower cost. The results obtained in the project showed that low land requirement and energy consumption together with outstanding effluent quality can be achieved by using AGS process, and if needed, water can be reused for green field irrigation, agricultural irrigation, public use and industrial use by integrating advanced treatment processes to the AGS effluent.

İTÜ Faculty of Civil Engineering

It can be accepted that the history of ITU Civil Engineering Faculty was commenced in 1727 by the establishment of Humbarahane during the era of Damat İbrahim Paşa. However, this attempt was to no avail due to the martyrization of the studwents of this school by the Janissaries.

In 1734, during the grand viziership of Topal Osman Paşa, classes related to Civil Engineering was being taught in Hendesehane, which was founded in Üsküdar. Similarly, this school was also closed after three years due to the opposition of the Janissaries. The reasons of the tragedy that occured in Battle of Chesma, 1770 were inadequacy of the ships and the ignorance of the Ottoman Navy.

Although the Atlantic Map (1513) and the Map of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea (1523) by Piri Reis were the leading pieces of the era, Ottoman viziers were so ignorant that they claimed it was impossible for the Russian Baltic Fleet to reach the Mediterranean Sea assuming that there were no sea connection. With the proposal from Gazi Hasan Paşa and Baron de Tott, Mühendishane-i Bahri-i Humayun was established during the time of Sultan Mustafa III, aiming to train naval construction engineers. Since Ottoman Empire did not have any engineering schools at the time, military engineering classes were taught by French engineers beginning from 1784. French lecturers had to return to their country in 1788 with the increasing suppression from Austria and Russia, which were unwilling for the development and thriving of Ottoman Empire. In 1759, during the Grand Viziership of Koca Ragıp Paşa, Humbarahane was reopened in Karaağaç, Haliç (Golden Horn) and continued to teach even though it was incompetent. In 1792, Lağımcı Ocağı and Humbaracı Ocağı (Guild of Sappers) were established.