🔍 Key Concepts

• Purpose and process of a biological sewage treatment plant on ships • Typical order of aeration, sedimentation (settling), and disinfection (killing pathogens) in wastewater treatment • What each chamber mainly does: removing organics, settling solids, destroying bacteria/viruses

💭 Think About

• Which process must happen first so that bacteria can break down organic matter effectively? • After solids have been largely removed, which process is usually used last to make the effluent safe to discharge? • In what stage (early, middle, or late) does settling of heavier particles make the most engineering sense?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which step is usually the final safety step before discharge (think: making water sanitary). • Determine when most solids are removed: before or after killing microorganisms? • Check which order reflects: biological breakdown, solid separation, then pathogen control.