How Industrial Wastewater Treatment Solutions Make Wastewater Safe for Discharge and Reuse?
Industries globally utilize water for diverse processes, including washing, cooling, steam generation, and even as raw material in production. This water often gets contaminated with pollutants like solids, chemicals, and other substances that are then discharged as wastewater. Industrial wastewater poses significant environmental and health problems, making effective treatment and management crucial.
Industrial wastewater treatment solutions help remove pollutants, enable water reuse, and comply with discharge standards. In this blog post, we shed light on the basics of industrial wastewater treatment, explore common and advanced treatment methods, and highlight the growing need for sustainable solutions in this evolving field. Let’s dive in!
What Is Industrial Wastewater Treatment?
Industrial wastewater treatment refers to the process of treating wastewater produced as a by-product by almost any industry. It covers the processes and mechanisms used to treat wastewater that has been polluted in some form by chemical or industrial activities. Industrial wastewater treatment makes the wastewater safe for discharge or reuse, thereby protecting the environment and public health.
The need for high-recovery wastewater management solutions that help meet the complex regulatory and sustainable water demands is growing as industries continue to generate huge amounts of wastewater. The water and wastewater treatment equipment market is poised to register a robust CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2030, reaching USD 84.43 billion by 2030.
Types of Industrial Wastewater by Industry
The type and concentration of contaminations present in wastewater vary significantly based on the industrial process involved. Understanding these variations is crucial as it helps select the appropriate treatment technology. Below are some common industries and the types of wastewater they generate:
Food and Beverage Industry
The food and beverage industry generates wastewater rich in organic matter, fats, oils, grease, and suspended solids. This is primarily due to processes such as cleaning, cooking, and fermentation. The treatment methods for this wastewater often involve biological processes. In addition, fat and grease removal and nutrient treatments are used to ensure the water is safe for discharge or reuse.
Textile and Dyeing Industry
The textile and dyeing industry produces highly colored and chemically laden wastewater. It usually contains textile dyes, heavy metals, and toxic organic substances. Given their alkaline nature and difficultly in degrading, these effluents often need advanced chemical treatments like coagulation, membrane filtration, and pH adjustment. The use of these treatments helps remove color, stabilize pH levels, and eliminate persistent pollutants.
Petrochemical and Oil Refining Sector
The petrochemicals and oil refining sector faces challenges with phenols, hydrocarbons, suspended solids, and emulsified oils in its wastewater. Sources include tank cleaning, refining, and cooling operations. Treatment solutions typically start with oil-water separation, followed by flotation systems and bioremediation techniques.
Pulp and Paper Industry
The wastewater produced by the pulp and paper industry often contains lignin, suspended solids, and chlorinated organic compounds. These compounds come from pulping and bleaching processes. Treatment typically involves primary clarification to remove solids, which is followed by anaerobic and aerobic digestion to break down organic material.
Key Parameters Monitored in Industrial Wastewater
Here are the key parameters monitored in industrial wastewater for assessing effluent quality, selecting appropriate treatment methods, and ensuring compliance with environmental discharge regulations:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): BOD measures the amount of oxygen microorganisms need to break down organic matter in water over a specific period. High BOD levels indicate a high concentration of biodegradable organic pollutants, which can lead to the depletion of oxygen in receiving water bodies.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): COD measures the amount of oxygen needed to oxidize organic and inorganic pollutants in a water sample chemically. In essence, it gives a broader picture of the organic and chemical load in the effluent,
Total Suspended Solids (TSS): TSS refers to the amount of non-dissolved matter in water that a filter can trap. These solids can include a variety of materials like silt, decaying organic matter, and industrial wastes.
pH: pH is also routinely monitored to understand the acidity or alkalinity of wastewater. Most treatment processes operate optimally within a specific pH range, usually between 6.5 and 8.5.
Traditional Industrial Wastewater Treatment Processes Listed
Here’s a look at some of the commonly used traditional industrial wastewater treatment processes:
Physical Treatment: This primary industrial wastewater treatment process involves the removal of solid particles and contaminants. It includes processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and screening.
Biological Treatment: This is a form of secondary treatment that involves the use of specific microorganisms for breaking down organic compounds. Microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and algae degrade organic contaminants in wastewater and convert them into less harmful substances and biomass.
Chemical Treatment: Chemical wastewater treatment is a form of tertiary treatment that employs chemical reactions or additives to remove dissolved substances and contaminants. For example, oxidation, pH adjustments, and reduction reactions are used to neutralize alkalinity or acidity to improve biodegradation and remove specific contaminants. Chemical treatment is commonly used to target specific pathogens and pollutants to improve overall water quality.
Advanced Technologies for Treating Industrial Wastewater
Advanced industrial wastewater treatment technologies are used to remove specific pollutants and achieve high-quality water for reuse. They include:
Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): AOPs refer to a group of chemical techniques that employ strong oxidants like hydroxyl radicals. These oxidants break down the organic and inorganic pollutants into less harmful substances.
Membrane Technologies: Membrane filtration technologies help concentrate and separate contaminants, dissolved solids, and suspended particles. Commonly used membrane technologies for industrial wastewater treatment include microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO).
To Sum It Up
Industrial wastewater is a growing concern in several regions globally. Industrial wastewater treatment solutions assist with the effective management and treatment of wastewater. In recent years, several governments worldwide have introduced stringent regulations on wastewater released from industrial activities. This has prompted companies to increase their R&D spending to offer effective wastewater treatment solutions. With time, the industrial wastewater treatment solutions market is expected to see the introduction of new entrants offering efficient and cost-effective solutions.
