Airport De-icing and Wastewater Monitoring
Airport De-icing
De-icing of airports and aircrafts is essential to ensure the safety of passengers and cargo operators. While the de-icing of an aircraft may lead to longer wait times for passengers, it is a critical step for a smooth and safe flight. Ice on an aircraft can impact the aerodynamic effectiveness of the plane, increasing drag and reducing lift. Ice on the surface of the aircraft can even cause in-flight damage. Similarly, ice on runways pose serious hazards by reducing friction, which can compromise braking and directional control of vehicles for aircraft and ground vehicles.
Management of Wastewater from Airport De-icing
The most commonly used de-icing products are ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. While these chemicals are effective at preventing ice formation, they come with environmental challenges. Airports must closely monitor storm water runoff, because these chemicals can negatively impact the environment. Glycols require significant oxygen to biodegrade, leading to high levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in surface water. High BOD levels can deplete oxygen in rivers and lakes, harming fish and other aquatic life.
To mitigate these risks, strict regulations are in place to ensure that the waste from de-icing operations is properly collected and treated. Wastewater is either treated onsite or at a municipal wastewater treatment facility.
Traditional BOD testing takes 5 or 7 days, making it impractical for real-time decision making. An alternative is chemical oxygen demand (COD) testing, which is faster but still requires at least three hours. It also involves hazardous chemicals such as dichromate and mercury.
PeCOD Analyzer for Wastewater Monitoring
MANTECH’s PeCOD Analyzer offers a safe, green, and reliable approach to wastewater monitoring. Unlike traditional methods, the PeCOD technology is free from hazardous chemicals and delivers accurate BOD/COD results in just 10 minutes. Given the harmful nature of the de-icing chemicals, rapid results are crucial for detecting wastewater contamination. The PeCOD’s quick turnaround enables the facility to take immediate action to prevent environmental contamination.
Furthermore, the PeCOD technology requires fewer dilutions when performing the BOD analysis. This benefit saves the treatment plant both time and money. The PeCOD method is accurate and reliable and helps airports maintain compliance with local regulations while avoiding costly discharge fines. By adopting the PeCOD technology, airports can enhance their sustainability efforts and demonstrate leadership in green operations.
Various samples from a local deicing facility were analyzed by Dichromate COD, PeCOD COD and BOD, with results plotted below for comparison purposes.
As shown in figure 1, PeCOD and Dichromate COD follow the same trend, and demonstrate a strong correlation with an R-squared value of 0.97. The PeCOD method can be used to accurately estimate Dichromate COD, while eliminating the use of mercury and potassium dichromate.
Figure 1. Plot of Dichromate COD, PeCOD COD and BOD for samples from a local deicing facility. All methods of analysis follow a similar trend.
Figure 2. Scatter Plot of PeCOD COD against BOD as analyzed by an external laboratory. With an R-squared value of 0.97, a strong correlation is observed.
