What types of pollutants will interfere with the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)?

The selection of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and heat as pollutants that can interfere with Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) is accurate due to the critical impacts these pollutants have on water treatment processes.

BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen that microorganisms will consume while decomposing organic matter in water. High levels of BOD can lead to oxygen depletion in treatment facilities, negatively impacting the health of aerobic organisms critical for the biological treatment processes. If BOD levels are too high, it can overwhelm the treatment capacity of the facility, leading to inefficient treatment and potential violations of discharge permits.

Heat is another factor that can disrupt POTW operations. Elevated temperatures can adversely affect microbial activity and metabolism, impairing the efficiency of biological treatment processes. Furthermore, warmer water can hold less dissolved oxygen, compounding issues related to BOD.

The other options, while they may pose challenges to wastewater treatment in different contexts, do not have the same pervasive and immediate interference with the fundamental biological processes of the POTW. Heavy metals can indeed be detrimental, but they are typically addressed through specific measures rather than being classified as interfering in the same way BOD and heat are recognized. Radioactive materials and certain chemicals could present regulatory concerns but