Proceedings of International Symposium on Environmental Pollution Control and Waste Management

7-10 January 2002, Tunis (EPCOWM2002), p.229-235.

Pollution prevention and waste minimization in Egyptian industry

Sohair I. ABOU ELELA
Water Pollution Control Department, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
E.mail:sohair@frcu.eun.eg
ABSTRACT
Industrial pollution has been identified as a major problem in Egypt and is addressed under the National Pollution
Prevention Program (NIPPP). In support of the NIPPP, several projects with international agencies as well as national
researchers has been focused on the pollution prevention opportunities in several industrial sectors such as food,
chemical, textile, and oil & soap. The main goal of industrial pollution prevention/cleaner production component was
directed to show that significant financial savings and environmental improvements can be made by relatively low-cost
and straight forward interventions. These consist of pollution prevention through good housekeeping, waste
minimization, process modification and technology changes. This approach has proven to have two benefits: valuable
materials are recovered rather than wasted and factories are moved towards legislative compliance . Industrial auditing
and consequent pollution prevention measures have been implemented in many industrial sectors. In this paper
examples of case of studies in different industries are presented. Results revealed that a range of opportunities have
been identified varying from good housekeeping measures to utilization of waste, control and recovery of wasted
material.
KEYWORDS
Pollution prevention, Waste minimization, Egyptian industry, Utilization of waste, intermediate chemical industry,
Super phosphate fertilizer industry, Acetylene production plant, Recycle, Reuse.

Introduction
Rabid industrialization and urbanization in many countries have led to sever pollution. Initial efforts to manage urban
and industrial pollution have concentrated on what is commonly referred to as end-of-pipe treatment. While
improvements in treatment and disposal technology have led to dramatic reductions in quantity and types of pollutants
discharged into the environment for many countries, end-of-pipe methods have proven to be costly and ultimately
unsustainable (Huggins, 1990). Due to increasing environmental concerns associated with industrial waste, companies
must now incorporate waste management and prevention strategies into their industrial processes (Nemerow and
Dasgypta, 1991).
Pollution prevention can be defined as any action which reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants or waste at
source which may occur due to inefficiencies in the manufacturing process, operational practices, improperly designed
or utilized equipment (Freeman, 1995; Shen, 1995).
Adopting a pollution prevention program is a way of doing business which can provide a number of significant
benefits to a company. By decreasing the amount of waste generated, a company can reduce waste disposal costs,

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improve works safety and reduce long-term liability in addition, pollution prevention methods will lead to increased
efficiency of production line, decreased costs associated with the purchase of raw materials, inventory control and so
forth. Furthermore, any resulting changes in efficiency or expenditures may help the company to maintain or improve
its competitiveness in the market place (Abou-El-ela, 1999). A wide range of pollution prevention opportunities could
be implemented with significant financial advantages for the factories as well as reducing environmental pollution.
These opportunities range from simple low cost improvements to savings which could be made from the recovery of
process chemicals, process modification, potential products from wasted materials and so forth ( Abou-Elela and Zaher,
1998). The possible improvement measures inside the factory can vary widely according to ease of implementation,
initial cost, annual benefits, return of investment and payback periods.
In Egypt, industrial pollution has been identified as a major environmental problem and is being addressed under the
National Industrial Pollution Prevention Program (NIPPP) which has been launched in October 1994. The objectives
of the NIPPP are to : reduce and promote the benefits of low cost pollution prevention measures and to demonstrate the
environmental advantages of this approach, especially those with short payback period (Thimothy et al, 1996).
The National Pollution Prevention/ Cleaner Production Programme
Cleaner production and pollution prevention concepts started to play considerable role in industrial pollution control
activities undertaken by the Egyptian industry. There have been a number of Cleaner Production initiatives (CP), which
have made considerable progress in convincing several industry management for converting to cleaner production.
These initiatives comprised awareness programmes developed by the Egyptian Government and international
development agencies from one side, and research work developed by research centers from the other side (Abou-Elela,
1999).
In the eighties and early nineties most of environmental production initiatives for the industry concentrated upon endof-pipe approach. Cleaner Production and pollution prevention concepts began to be promoted on a National level in
1994, when the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) initiated the National Industrial Pollution Prevention
Program (NIPPP). In parallel with the NIPPP, several programs implemented by international donor agencies promoted
Cleaner Production. This promotion varied from being the direct objective of some programs, to an important tool used
by some other. The Environmental Pollution Prevention Program (EP3) is an example of the first type, EP3 has been
implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), adopting the same concepts and
methodologies considered by the (NIPPP) (Abou-Elela,2000).
Some other programs, which aimed to help the industry comply with environmental legislation, used Cleaner
Production as an important approach in reducing pollution loads of final effluents. Examples of such programs are
the Environmental Pollution Abatement Program (EPAP) implemented by the World Bank and Environmental Facility
for the Public Sector Industry implemented by the German Construction Bank (KfW) .
One of the projects which dealt directly with pollution prevention is the SEAM Project Support for Environment and
Management. It is a multi-disciplinary environmental project being funded by Britains Department for International
Development (DFID). This project is being implemented by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)
through the Technical Cooperation Office for the Environment (TOCE) and Entec, a UK based engineering and
environmental consultancy.
It is worth noting that the Egyptian government has regarded Cleaner Production/ pollution prevention as a strategic
tool in its approach of implementing the National Environmental Law (4). The previously mentioned programs are
working or have worked under this framework set by the government.
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Industrial Auditing and Pollution Prevention

An industrial audit is a systematic review of a companys processes and operations designed to identify and provide
information about opportunities to reduce waste, reduce pollution and improve operational efficiency.
The Following are the Main Components of an Industrial Audit Waste minimization
One of the objectives of Industrial Audit is to identify the opportunities for waste minimization in the considered
industrial plant. Attention is usually focused on pollution prevention in the sense of waste minimization before the endof-pipe. Low cost and possibly no cost improvement opportunities would be targeted in any Industrial Audit.
Environmental issues
The identification of environmentally damaging activities is a main objective of Industrial Audit. The audit identifies
the environmental issues and health problems noted on the site and which actions are necessary to attain environmental
improvement. Air emissions, industrial wastewater, land contamination, process chemicals and solid waste are the
conventional environmental issues identified in industrial auditing.
Solutions to these problems could include the substitution of hazardous raw materials and also the recovery of product
through process modification.
Legislative requirements and compliance
Compliance with legislation is a key issue in Industrial Audit. If industrial wastewater is taken as an example, the final
effluent must comply with the law. Either it is disposed into open water channels (agricultural drains included), into
sewers, trenches and pits, or to deep recharge wells.
While the law is enforcing , adopting an Environmental Management System (EMS) is still voluntary but closely
connected at present with market forces, working conditions and the company image.
Implementation of the above two issues may also help the factory toward legislative compliance. It may also reduce the
strength/characteristics of the waste to minimize the size/complexity of any wastewater treatment plant that may be
constructed.
Industrial auditing guidelines were prepared for application in Egypt and it included ten steps outline of the auditing
procedure (Thimothy el al., 1997).
Pollution Opportunities in Egyptian Industry
Case Study I: Intermediate Chemical Company
Control and Recovery of Phosphorous Pentoxide Emission in a Rodencide Production Plant
During the manufacture of zinc phosphide rodencide, in a chemical industrial plant in Egypt, phosphorous-pent oxide
vapor is emitted as a waste material at a rate of 10-15 tons/yr. It has several adverse effects on the surrounding
environment and represents a loss of red phosphorous which is used in the production process. A control unit for P2O5
emission on a semi-pilot scale has been designed and fabricated. The system consists of an efficient combustion unit
for the facilitation of the burning process and a water scrubber unit for the removal and possible recovery of P2O5 as
phosphoric acid for further utilization. The recovery unit is a compact system consists of a water scrubber and
phosphoric acid mist eliminator. Experimental results showed that the water and air flow rates are important factors
which affect the percentage recovery of P2O5 from the flue gas. Also, mist elimination is an important step in the
pollution control efficiency. The obtained results revealed that recirculation of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is very
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efficient in the absorption of P2O5. Based on these results full details engineering designs including heat balance,
electrical and mechanical specifications and civil works were carried out. Also, cost estimation of a full scale system
was carried out to enable the implementation of the control system. The bay back period was estimated to be 1.2 year if
the plant operates at 100% capacity (Abdel Salam and Abou-Elela, 1996).
Grinding Phosphate
H2SO4 (70%)

B.P.L.
Apatite-phosphate

Mixer
Conc. H2SO4
SiF4
Gas

Dilution Water

Den
Grinder

Fumes

W.W.

Single Super phosphate Fertilizer

Fluosilicic Acid
(H2SiF6)

Figure 1 Single Super phosphate Plant (S.S.P.)

Case Study II: Super Phosphate Fertilizer Industry

Production of Sodium Flu silicate from Wasted Material
The company produces single super phosphate fertilizer and sulfuric acid as main products and ferrous sulfate as a by
washing process of the scrubbing towers. The process is carried out in an open circuit mode. The waste water
discharges directly into the Nile River and it is a very acidic waste and contains high concentrations of fluoride (3257
mg/l), silicate (3480 mg/l) and phosphate (110 mg/l). Waste water produced from the scrubbing towers was utilized
to produce sodium Flu silicate (Na2 SiF6), a preservative for Portland cement. The open circuit washing process of the
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scrubbing towers was changed to a closed circuit operation to the fluosilicic acid prior to the production of sodium
flu-silicate (Figures 2& 3). Design, construction and implementation of a full scale unit for the production of Na2SiF6
were carried out and put into operation. This solution reduced the pollution load by 40% and saved 2 million L.E/y and
the payback period was 0.6 month (Abou-Elela and Abdelmonem, 1999).

Chimney

SiF4
CO 2

HF

Fan

Waste
Storage Tank

Pump

Figure 2 Closed Circuit Technique in the Super phosphate Unit

Storage
Tank

Storage
Tank

Supernatant

Drain

Na2 SiF6

Figure (4) Suggested Unit for Continuous Production of Na2SiF6

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Case Study III: Reuse of Wasted Material from Acetylene Production Plant
In an industrial complex in Egypt, one of its production plant is acetylene. The generation of acetylene is accomplished
by the reaction between water and calcium carbide, calcium hydroxide slurry (2.4 m3/d) is produced as a by-product
waste. The disposal of the slurry to the land causes solid pollution problem due to the accumulation of 500 ton/year
calcium hydroxide, beside the seepages of liquid waste to the ground water in the area. The general objective of this
study, is the management of waste water and solid waste in the plant in order to protect the environment and to gain
benefits as much as possible from the wasted materials. Analysis of the slurry
Ca(OH)2 produced from the end of pipe of the plant revealed that it contains 83% water and 17% solids. The solid
(17%) contents are mainly 83.6% Ca(OH)2, 2.7% carbon, 1.1 silica, 5.6% iron, 2.8 sulfur and 4.1% others. The slurry
was subjected to sand and oven drying. The aim was to determine the water content, energy consumption and operating
cost in order to evaluate the feasibility of reusing dried Ca(OH)2. Since the dried waste is mainly Ca(OH)2 (84%), the
possibility of its reuse as a coagulant and to neutralize any acidic waste was investigated. The efficiency of the dried
solid waste was compared with a laboratory grade lime. The results obtained revealed that the efficiency of wasted
Ca(OH)2 compared with laboratory grade lime was almost the same. However, the dose required from wasted materials
be recycled to the acetylene generator. Techno-economic feasibility study revealed that oven drying of the thickened
slurry is recommended (Abou-Elela et al 1996).
CONCLUSION
The given case studies indicated that there are a wide range of pollution prevention opportunities which could by
implemented, with significant financial advantage for the factories as well as reducing environmental pollution. These
opportunities ranged from simple low cost improvements to savings which could be made from the recovery of process
chemicals and potential products from materials previously treated as a waste. Cost benefits for the recommended
environmental improvements have been estimated for each factory and the improvements measures had short payback
periods.
In the light of these findings, it is strongly recommended that the audit procedure can be adopted as an efficient
management tool by the industrial sector. This will ensure that improvements, once made are maintained. This process
will also work towards the objectives of NIPPP by proving and implementing the benefits of the low-cost
pollution prevention approach, both in terms of increased factory productivity and minimizing environmental
pollution.
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