Industrial Pollution Control

Prof. R. Shanthini
Dept of Chemical & Process Engineering University of Peradeniya
September 05, 2010

Biodegradable Industrial Waste

Wastewater from many industries using biomass as raw materials contains mostly carbohydrates (sugars, starch, cellulose and lignin) and fats and proteins. These organics are biodegradable, that is, decomposed to simple end products by the biliions and billions of microorganisms found nature. Some organics are aerobically biodegraded (by aerobic microbes) and others are anaerobically biodegraded (by anaerobic microbes).

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Concentration of aerobically biodegradable organic matter (such as sugars, starch and other simple organics) is quantified by the amount of oxygen consumed during the aerobic microbial (mostly bacterial) degradation of the waste under controlled conditions. This measurement is known as the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of the wastewater concerned.

To be precise, BOD is written as BOD5 at 20oC, which means the biochemical oxygen demand of the wastewater for 5 days of microbial degradation at 20oC.

BOD (continued)

The water body is considered to be very clean if its BOD5 at 20oC is less than 1 mg/litre (i.e. ppm). The cleanliness of the waterbody is considered poor if its BOD5 at 20oC is more than 5 mg/litre. The BOD5 estimate however excludes complex organics such as cellulose, lignin, chitin, and proteins, which cannot be readily biodegraded by bacteria.

Cellulose
Cellulose provides strength and flexibility to the plants. It is the most abundant organic compound of natural origin. The molecular weight of cellulose ranges from 300,000 to 500,000 (1800 to 3000 glucose units). Since certain bacteria can hydrolyse cellulose, biological treatment of cellulose containing wastes is possible. However, aerobic treatment of cellulose is slow.

Cellulose (continued)
Most of the cellulose does not get aerobically biodegraded and will settle to produce sludge during aerobic digestion.
The sludge produced during aerobic treatment is separated by sedimentation, filtration or centrifugation, and is either used as a landfill or incinerated. This sludge could also be subjected to anaerobic digestion (in the absence of oxygen) to produce biogas.

Lignin
Lignin, a macromolecular organic compound, is a major structural component of all plant cell walls along with cellulose. While cellulose provides strength and flexibility, lignin supports and protects the cellulose from biological and chemical attack. Lignin is thus very stable against bacterial degradation even though white-rot fungi can degrade it to some extent in a very slow reaction.

 Aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic compounds like ester are type of organic compounds that are resistant to bacterial degradation of any kind.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Since the BOD measurement includes only the readily biodegradable organics that are decomposed aerobically by simple bacteria, we use the chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurement to indicate the amount of oxidisable material present in the effluent sample that can be oxidised by a strong chemical oxidant.

COD (continued)
If the COD and BOD measurements are nearly the same then the effluent can be biologically degraded under aerobic, facultative and anaerobic conditions. Any difference between the COD and BOD measurements may indicate the presence of cellulosic matter that cannot be readily biodegraded aerobically by bacteria alone. If there is a large difference between the COD and BOD measurements with very high COD values then it can be taken as an indication of the amount of biologically resistant organic matter such as lignin present in the effluent.

Recommended limit for discharges

Into inland surface waters - 30 mg/litre of BOD5 at 20oC - 250 mg/litre of COD On land for irrigation purposes - 250 mg/litre of BOD5 at 20oC - 400 mg/litre of COD Into marine coastal areas - 100 mg/litre of BOD5 at 20oC - 250 mg/litre of COD
Source: National Environmental (Protection and Quality) Regulations No. 1 of 2008 under the National Environmental Act, No 47 of 1980

Desiccated Coconut

Sap: BOD = 15,000 mg/L COD = 40,000 mg/L

Wastewater: BOD = 10,000 mg/L COD = 20,000 mg/L

Natural Rubber Processing

BOD = 5000 mg/L COD = 9000 mg/L

Textile Mills

COD = 1900 mg/L

Colour removal

BOD = 30 250 mg/L COD = 250 400 mg/L

National Environmental Act,
No. 47 of 1980 (1990 & 2008 amendments)

Rice Mills

COD = 8000 mg/L

Brewery

BOD = 1500 mg/L COD = 4000 mg/L

Brewery effluents
3 to 10 litres of water used per litre of beer produced
(Lions Brewery produces 45 million liters of beer per year)

Malted Barley Water

Beer Beer manufacture Wastewater Aerobic treatment

Treated wastewater

Spent grain (wet)

(may be used as cattle feed)

Brewery Wastewater Sludge (BWS)

Compost

2006

BOD = 1000-1500 mg/L; COD = 1000-4000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Brewery effluents
Malted Barley Water Beer Beer manufacture Wastewater Leachate Anaerobic Spent grain (wet) treatment Dry spend grain

continued.

Biogas

Leach the spent grain using wastewater COD increased from 3000 to 50,000 mg/L (Leachate)
BOD = 1000-1500 mg/L; COD = 1000-4000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Brewery effluents
Malted Barley Water Beer Beer manufacture Wastewater Slurry Spent grain (wet)

continued.

Spent grain slurries using wastewater

COD increased from 3000 to 14,000 mg/L (slurry)

BOD = 1000-1500 mg/L; COD = 1000-4000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Brewery effluents
developed by

continued.

Dr. K. Kanagachandran Manager, Special Projects, Lions Brewery has a Bachelors Degree in Microbiology and PhD in Biotechnology from Herefordshire University, UK reduction of 3150 litres per day furnace oil,

and thereby 30% in fuel bill ($80,000 saved per year)

BOD = 1000-1500 mg/L; COD = 1000-4000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Natural Rubber Processing Industrial Effluents

40-50 litres of wastewater produced per kg of rubber produced

(Sri Lanka produces 115 million kg of rubber per year)

BOD = 1000-5000 mg/L; COD = 2000-9000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 50 60 mg/L & COD = 400 mg/L (inland surface water)

Natural Rubber Processing Industrial Effluents

Anaerobic treatment
Covered Activated Ditch (CAD)

continued.

Biogas

- concrete reinforced cement block ditches - lined with UV stabilized polythene sheet for waterproofing - covered with odour filters to control odour emissions - equipped with stationary bio-brush media to retain biomass coir-fibre arranged in bottle-brush configuration bounded by a novel plastic binding technique

developed for the industry since 1991 by M. Thurul Warnakula

BOD = 1000-5000 mg/L; COD = 2000-9000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 50 60 mg/L & COD = 400 mg/L (inland surface water)

Natural Rubber Processing Industrial Effluents

continued.

Taxing the polluter

Still Polluting (in 2006)

Rs. 26/= of tax per 100 gm of COD per year

BOD = 1000-5000 mg/L; COD = 2000-9000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 50 60 mg/L & COD = 400 mg/L (inland surface water)

Textile Mill Effluents

Adsorption by burnt-brick and other selected materials good treatment in all sense

Up-flow anaerobic attached-growth bioreactors filled with pre-treated coir fibres

Fe and Mn removal in SO42- reducing conditions

COD = 400-1900 mg/L; colour removal Standard: BOD = 60 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Textile Mill Effluents

continued.

Use of water hyacinth at the Veyangoda Mills good; effluent requires further polishing Water hyacinth with rubber factory effluent
Water hyacinth for N and P removal from synthetic effluents

COD = 400-1900 mg/L; colour removal Standard: BOD = 60 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Desiccated Coconut Industrial Effluents

40,000 60,000 litres of sap + wastewater per day in a 50,000 nuts per day capacity industry Sap: BOD = 13,000 - 15,000 mg/L; COD = 40,000 mg/L Wastewater: BOD = 6000 -10,000 mg/L; COD = 17,000 - 20,000 mg/L

Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Desiccated Coconut Industrial Effluents

Up-flow anaerobic floating filter (UAFF) system
- three anaerobic filter reactors in series - coir fibre as the bacteria growth media - a sedimentation tank and a biogas filter

continued.

good; effluent requires further polishing developed by M.D.A. Athula Jayamanne

used with DC mills, distilleries, breweries, textile mills, garment factories, rice mills, hotels, bakeries, piggeries, farms and slaughterhouses Sap: BOD = 13,000 - 15,000 mg/L; COD = 40,000 mg/L Wastewater: BOD = 6000 -10,000 mg/L; COD = 17,000 - 20,000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Rice Mill Effluents

Up-flow anaerobic floating filter (UAFF) of Athula Jayamanne

Wetlands with common cattail (Typha latifolia)

Paddy husk charcoal as adsorbent

ongoing

Wastewater: COD = 3,000 - 8,000 mg/L Standard: BOD = 30 mg/L & COD = 250 mg/L (inland surface water)

Electrochemistry in effluent treatment

Electrodialysis treatment of black liquor from pulp mill Electrodialysis treatment of photographic effluent

Electrocoagulation treatment of oily wastewaters Microbial fuel cell treatment

Published in 2010

96.5% COD removal 84% lignin removal 81% phenol removal was 81% 2.3 W/m3 power produced

Microbial Fuel Cells

wastewater

anode cathode

Source: http://parts.mit.edu/igem07/images/2/2d/Fuelcell.JPG

To the Water
BOD COD oil and grease Suspended particles Colour Chemicals Toxic materials Heated water

State of freshwater in 2000 GOOD

GRIM

We want the pointer to be here

But, the pointer is here

State of freshwater in 2000

Water consumption has increased 35 times in the last 300 years Population rose only sevenfold in the last 300 years

Concluding Remarks
no-electricity, no-maintenance anaerobic treatment methodologies which generate biogas are available innovated by Sri Lankans
Yet, industrial pollution persists

Pollution tax is suggested

Modelling is not done (most of them are laboratory studies; some are with synthetic effluents) Sustainable process technology are not researched Life cycle analysis are not done