And Maintenance Practice Exam Questions

Industrial Waste Treatment Operations And Maintenance Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf

1. The main objective of industrial waste treatment is to:

• Produce drinking water
• Reduce pollutants before discharge
• Increase production efficiency
• Improve product quality

Rationale: The goal of industrial waste treatment is to reduce or remove

contaminants to meet regulatory discharge standards.

• A common primary treatment process in industrial wastewater treatment

is:

• Chlorination
• Sedimentation 1 / 4

• Filtration
• Aeration

Rationale: Sedimentation removes large suspended solids as a first step in

treatment.

3. The pH of wastewater is important because it affects:

• Temperature
• Chemical reactions and biological activity
• Odor only
• Flow rate

Rationale: pH influences coagulation, disinfection, and biological process

performance.

4. Sludge thickening is primarily used to:

• Remove dissolved gases
• Reduce sludge volume
• Increase sludge moisture
• Neutralize acids

Rationale: Thickening reduces water content, minimizing volume for further

treatment.

• / 4

5. A biological treatment process that uses attached microbial growth is:

• Activated sludge
• Trickling filter
• Aerated lagoon
• Membrane bioreactor

Rationale: Trickling filters rely on microbial films attached to media surfaces.

6. The primary function of equalization basins is to:

• Store treated water
• Balance flow and load variations
• Increase alkalinity
• Remove heavy metals

Rationale: Equalization evens out variations in flow and concentration,

improving downstream efficiency.

7. Chemical precipitation is typically used for removing:

• Suspended solids
• Heavy metals
• Oils and grease
• Organic carbon

Rationale: Metal ions can be removed by forming insoluble hydroxides or

sulfides. 3 / 4

8. The Food-to-Microorganism (F/M) ratio is a key parameter in:

• Sedimentation tanks
• Activated sludge systems
• Filtration units
• Grit chambers

Rationale: F/M ratio controls biological activity and process stability in

activated sludge.

9. The main disadvantage of incinerating industrial sludge is:

• Low energy recovery
• High operating cost
• Production of biogas
• Odor generation

Rationale: Incineration is effective but expensive due to fuel and air pollution controls.

10. Oil-water separators are designed to remove:

• Dissolved gases
• Free and floatable oil
• Dissolved organics
• / 4