Industrial Waste Water Treatment

Industrial Waste Water Treatment covers the mechanisms and processes used to treat waters that have been contaminated in some way by anthropogenic Industrial or commercial activities prior to its release into the environment or its re-use.
Most Industries produce some wet waste although recent trends in the developed world have been to minimize such production or recycle such waste within the production process. However, many Industries remain dependent on processes that produce Waste Waters.
Sources of Industrial Waste Water

1.1   Iron and Steel Industry

1.2   Mines and Quarries

1.3   Food Industry

1.4   Complex Organic Chemicals Industry

1.5   Nuclear Industry

1.6  Water Treatment

1.1 Iron and Steel Industry:-
  
The production of iron from its ores involves powerful reduction reactions in blast furnaces. Cooling Waters are inevitably contaminated with products especially ammonia and cyanide. Production of coke from coal in coking plants also requires Water Cooling and the use of Water in by-products separation. Contamination of WasteStreams includes gasification products such as benzene, naphthalene, anthracites, cyanide, ammonia, phenols, and cresols together with a range of more complex organic compounds known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).

The conversion of iron or steel into sheet, wire or rods requires hot and cold mechanical transformation stages frequently employing Water as a Lubricant and coolant. Contaminants include hydraulic oils, tallow and particulate solids. Final treatment of iron and steel products before onward sale into manufacturing includes pickling in strong mineral acid to remove rust and prepare the surface for tin or chromium plating or for other surface treatments such as galvanization or painting. 

The two acids commonly used are hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. Wastes Waters include acidic rinse Waters together with waste acid. Although many plants operate acid recovery plants, (particularly those using Hydrochloric acid), where the mineral acid is boiled away from the iron salts, there remains a large volume of highly acid ferrous sulfate or ferrous chloride to be disposed of. Many steel Industry WasteWaters are contaminated by hydraulic oil also known as soluble oil.

 1.2 Mines and Quarries

The principal Waste-Waters associated with mines and quarries are slurries of rock particles in Water. These arise from rainfall washing exposed surfaces and haul roads and also from rock washing and grading processes. Volumes of water can be very high; especially rainfall related arising’s on large sites.
Some specialized separation operations, such as coal washing to separate coal from native rock using density gradients, can produce WasteWater Contaminated by fine particulate hematite and surfactants. Oils and hydraulic oils are also common contaminants. Waste Water from metal mines and ore recovery plants are inevitably contaminated by the minerals present in the native rock formations.
 Following crushing and extraction of the desirable materials, undesirable materials may become contaminated in the Waste Water. For metal mines, this can include unwanted metals such as zinc and other materials such as arsenic. Extraction of high value metals such as gold and silver may generate slimes containing very fine particles in where physical removal of contaminants becomes particularly difficult.

1.3 Food Industry

Waste Water generated from agricultural and food operations has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from common Municipal Waste Water managed by public or private Waste Water Treatment plants throughout the world: it is biodegradable and nontoxic, but that has high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS).

The constituents of food and agriculture Waste Water are often complex to predict due to the differences in BOD and pH in effluents from vegetable, fruit, and meat products and due to the seasonal nature of food processing and post harvesting.

Processing of food from raw materials requires large volumes of High Grade Water. Vegetable washing generates waters with high loads of particulate matter and some dissolved organics. It may also contain surfactants.

Animal slaughter and processing produces very StrongOrganic Waste from body fluids, such as blood, and gut contents. This WasteWater is frequently contaminated by significant levels of antibiotics and growth hormones from the animals and by a variety of pesticides used to control external parasites. 

Insecticide residues in fleeces are a particular problem in treating waters generated in wool processing.
Processing food for sale produces wastes generated from cooking which are often rich in plant organic material and may also contain salt, flavoring’s, colorings material and acids or alkali. Very significant quantities of oil or fats may also be present.

 1.4 Complex Organic Chemicals Industry

A range of Industries Manufacture or use complex organic chemicals. These include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, paints and dyes, petro-chemicals, detergents, plastics, paper pollution, etc.

Waste Waters can be contaminated by feed-stock materials, by-products, product material in soluble or particulate form, washing and cleaning agents, solvents and added value products such as plasticizers.
Treatment facilities that do not need control of their effluent typically opt for a type of aerobic treatment, i.e. Aerated Lagoons.

1.5 Nuclear industry

The Waste Production from the nuclear and Radio-Chemicals Industry are dealt with as Radioactive Waste.


1.6 Water Treatment

Water Treatment for the production of Drinking Water is dealt with elsewhere. Many industries have a need to treat water to obtain very high quality water for demanding purposes.

Water Treatment produces organic and mineral sludge’s from filtration and sedimentation. Ion exchange using natural or synthetic resins removes calcium, magnesium and carbonate ions from Water replacing them with hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. 

Regeneration of ion exchange columns with strong acids and alkali produces a Waste Water rich in hardness ions which are readily precipitated out, especially when in admixture with other Waste Water.
Contact us today and ask about Odor Management. Our product is available for use in systems as an additive to safely and effectively remove Odors.