Management of Industrial Wastes: Solids, Liquids, and Gases

The approach used to develop systems to treat and dispose of industrial wastes is distinctly different
from the approach used for municipal wastes. There is a lot of similarity in the characteristics of wastes
from one municipality, or one region, to another. Because of this, the best approach to designing a
treatment system for municipal wastes is to analyze the performance characteristics of many existing
municipal systems and deduce an optimal set of design parameters for the system under consideration.
Emphasis is placed on the analysis of other systems, rather than on the waste stream under
consideration. In the case of industrial waste, however, few industrial plants have a high degree of
similarity between products produced and wastes generated. Therefore, emphasis is placed on analysis
of the wastes under consideration, rather than on what is taking place at other industrial locations. This
is not to say that there is little value in analyzing the performance of treatment systems at other, more
or less similar, industrial locations. Quite the opposite is true. It is simply a matter of emphasis. Wastes
from industries are customarily classified as liquid wastes, solid wastes, or air pollutants, and often the
three are managed by different people or departments. The three separate categories are regulated by
separate and distinct bodies of laws and regulations, and historically, public and governmental emphasis
has moved from one category to another from one time period to another. The fact is, however, that
the three categories of wastes are closely interrelated, both as they impact on the environment and as
they are generated and managed by individual industrial facilities. Solid wastes disposed of in the
ground can influence the quality of groundwater and surface waters by way of leachate entering the
groundwater and traveling with it through the ground, then entering a surface water body with
groundwater recharge. Volatile organics in that recharge water can contaminate the air. Air pollutants
can fall out to become surface water or groundwater pollutants, and water pollutants can infiltrate into
the ground or volatilize into the air. Waste treatment processes can also transfer substances from one of
the three waste categories to one or both of the others. Air pollutants can be removed from an air
discharge by means of a water solution scrubber. The waste scrubber solution must then be managed to
enable it to be discarded within compliance with applicable water regulations. Airborne particulates can
be removed from an air discharge using a bag house, thus creating a solid waste to be managed. On still
a third level, waste treatment or disposal systems themselves can directly impact on the quality of air,
water, or ground. Activated sludge aeration tanks are very effective in causing volatilization of
substances from wastewater. Failed landfills can be potent polluters of both groundwater and surface
water. The total spectrum of industrial wastes, then, must be managed as substances resulting from a
system of interrelated activities. Materials balances must be tracked, and overall cost effectiveness must
be kept in focus.
Management of Industrial Wastewater
With respect to industrial wastewater, Figure 1 illustrates the approach for developing a well-operating,
cost-effective treatment system. The first step is to gain familiarity with the manufacturing processes
themselves. This usually starts with a tour of the facility, and then progresses through a review of the
literature and interviews with knowledgeable people. The objective is to gain an understanding of how
wastewater is produced, for two reasons. The first is to enable an informed and therefore effective

wastes reduction, or minimization (pollution prevention) program; the second is to enable proper choice
of candidate treatment technologies.

Figure: 1
Analysis of Manufacturing Processes
One of the first steps in the analysis of manufacturing processes is to develop a block diagram that
shows how each manufacturing process contributes wastewater to the treatment facility, In that a block
represents each step in the manufacturing process. The supply of water to each point of use is
represented on the left side of the block diagram. Wastewater that flows away from each point of
wastewater generation is shown on the right side. The raw material for producing finished woven
fabric from an intermediate product of the textile industry is first subjected to a process called
desizing, during which the substances used to size the woven greige goods, or raw fabric, are
removed. The process uses sulfuric acid; therefore, the liquid waste from this process would be
expected to have a low pH as well as contain whatever substances were used as sizing. For instance, if
starch were the substance used to size the fabric, the liquid waste from the desizing process would be

expected to exhibit a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). As the knowledge became available, from
the industrys records, if possible, or from measurements taken as part of a wastewater characterization
study, the flow rates, total quantities for a typical processing day, upper and lower limits, and
characteristics such as BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total
dissolved solids (TDS), and specific chemicals would be indicated on the block diagram. Each individual
process undergone during the industrial process would be developed and shown on the block diagram,
as illustrated in Figure 1-2.
Wastes Minimization and Wastes Characterization Study
The ultimate purpose of the wastewater characterization study is to provide the design team with
accurate and complete information on which to base the design of the treatment system. Both
quantitative and qualitative data are needed to properly size the facility and to select the most
appropriate treatment technologies. Often, enough new information about materials usage, water use
efficiency, and wastes generation is learned during the wastewater characterization study to warrant a
second level of wastes minimization effort. This second part of the wastes minimization program should
be fully implemented, and its effectiveness should be verified by more sampling and analyses, which
amounts to an extension of the wastewater characterization study. A cautionary note is appropriate
here concerning maintenance of the wastes minimization program. If, after implementation of the
wastes minimization program, operation of the manufacturing facilities and/or housekeeping practices
loses attention and becomes lax so that wastewater increases in volume, strength, or both, the
treatment facility will be underdesigned and will be overloaded at the start. It is extremely important
that realistic goals be set and maintained for the wastes minimization program, and that the design
team, as well as the industrys management team, are fully aware of the consequences of overloading
the treatment system
Treatment Objectives
After the volume, strength, and substance characteristics of the wastewater have been established, the
treatment objectives must be determined. These objectives depend on where the wastewater is to be
sent after treatment. If the treated wastewater is discharged to another treatment facility, such as a
regional facility or a municipal treatment system, pretreatment requirements must be complied with. As
a minimum, the Federal Pretreatment Guidelines issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and published in the Federal Register must be complied with. Some municipal or regional treatment
facilities have pretreatment standards that are more stringent than those required by the EPA. If the
treated effluent is discharged to an open body of water, then a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit, plus a permit issued by the appropriate state agency, must be complied with. In
all cases, Categorical Standards issued by the Federal EPA apply, and it is necessary to work closely with
one or more government agencies while developing the treatment objectives.

Management of Solid Wastes from Industries

Industrial wastes that are discharged to neither air nor water are classified as solid, industrial, or
hazardous waste. At the federal level, these wastes are regulated primarily by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which contains specific design and management standards for
both hazardous wastes and municipal solid wastes.
Solid Waste
Solid waste (i.e., trash) includes such routine wastes as office trash, unreusable packaging, lunchroom
astes, and manufacturing or processing wastes that are not otherwise classified as hazardous under
RCRA. These wastes are normally deposited in trash cans and dumpsters and collected by a local trash
hauler for disposal in a municipal landfill or treatment at a municipal incinerator. Although RCRA
contains design and other standards for municipal waste management facilities, these facilities are
normally governed primarily by state and local regulation. General solid waste management has come
under increasing scrutiny in recent years because of a recognition of the relatively high proportion of
hazardous household compounds that solid waste contains. As a result, technical design standards for
solid waste landfills are now approaching those for industrial and hazardous waste landfills. In addition,
a reduction in the amount of available landfill space nationwide has caused a steady increase in tipping
fees (the fees charged for using municipal landfills) and has prompted energetic recycling efforts by
many industries and communities.
Industrial or Special Wastes
Industrial or special wastes are nonhazardous manufacturing wastes that are barred from municipal
waste treatment or disposal facilities, but do not meet the regulatory definition of hazardous waste.
Examples of these wastes include tannery leather scraps, feathers and other wastes from poultry
processing, nonhazardous sludge, and asbestos. These materials are normally disposed of in an
industrial landfill, which is generally more strictly regulated, more highly designed, and more closely
monitored than municipal landfills. Prior waste testing and approval are necessary before an industry
can ship waste to the site. Industrial wastes are normally regulated on the state and local levels, and
most facilities are licensed to accept only certain kinds of waste. Special state approval is often
necessary for unusual waste streams.
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste is a type of waste that meets specific characteristics of toxicity, ignitability, reactivity,
or corrosivity, or is specifically listed as a hazardous waste in RCRA regulations. Examples of wastes that
are said to exhibit a hazardous characteristic are sludges containing heavy metals that can be
solubilized by certain weak acids (toxic), waste gasoline (ignitable), elemental alkali metals such as
sodium or potassium (reactive), and acid wastes (corrosive). Listed hazardous wastes include waste
ommercial products, wastes from specific industrial processes, and wastes (e.g., spent solvents) from
nonspecific sources. Hazardous waste management is arguably among the most complex and
comprehensive arenas of environmental regulation. The RCRA program contains detailed requirements

for storing, handling, transporting, treating, and disposing of hazardous wastes, and mandates a cradleto-grave waste tracking system to ensure that wastes are transported and disposed of only by properly
licensed firms. Although hazardous waste regulations originated at the federal level, most states are
authorized by the EPA to administer their own programs and often promulgate standards that are more
strict than the federal standards. Hazardous waste generators are required by the land disposal
estrictions (LDRs), also referred to as land ban restrictions, to determine the concentrations of certain
constituents in their hazardous wastes. Depending on the constituents present and their concentrations,
specific treatment standards, expressed as specified technologies, may be required before the wastes
can be land disposed. Residues resulting from treatment of the waste are subject to the same
requirements and restrictions. The distinctions between each of the waste categories (municipal,
industrial, and hazardous) as described are not always clear, and the onus is on the individual industry,
or appropriate facility, to make the correct determination. Some states, for instance, consider waste oils
to be hazardous waste, even though federal law does not. Cans of dried paint are generally regarded as
a normal solid waste that can go in a dumpster; however, cans of wet paint, especially those that
contain lead or chromate, are usually designated as hazardous. Tannery wastes with trivalent chrome
usually can go to an industrial landfill, but some states consider these materials to be hazardous. And, at
the present time, mixtures of listed hazardous wastes and nonhazardous wastes (e.g., rinsewaters
containing spent plating solution, a listed hazardous waste) are hazardous in many cases. The so-called
mixture rule illustrates the importance of keeping waste streams separate to minimize the volume of
hazardous waste for disposal. In addition to these wastes, most industries produce by-products, scraps,
or spent materials that can be reused, reclaimed, or recycled for use on or off site. Depending on their
characteristics, these materials may be regulated as hazardous wastes even during the recycling process,
or they may become wastes if the demand for them decreases to the point where reprocessing becomes
unprofitable. A good working knowledge of the solid waste management laws, or the advice of a
reputable consultant or attorney, is imperative to avoid violations of waste RCRA regulations. Waste
management and disposal often represent significant and constantly increasing costs for industry. In
order to minimize these costs and reduce the likelihood of enforcement actions by regulators,
environmental managers must ensure that a sound program is in place and that all personnel, from
laborers to top managers, are vigilant in carrying it out. The following guidelines are often helpful:
Know the facility waste streams. Like industrial wastewaters, these are seldom the same for different
plants. As a first step, facilities must know how much of each type of solid waste they are producing.
Keep wastes segregated. Heavy fines, as well as criminal sentences, are the penalties for improper
waste disposal. Facilities must ensure that hazardous wastes are not put in the trash dumpster, that
listed hazardous wastes are not mixed with other nonhazardous materials, and generally that wastes are
handled as theyre supposed to be.
Choose waste disposal firms carefully. Because facilities can be held responsible for clean-up costs of
the waste facilities they use, waste transporters and facilities should be chosen carefully.
Institute a pollution prevention program that includes a vigorous wastes minimization effort. Where
possible, reduce the quantity or toxicity of materials used in production.

 Keep areas clean. Frequent spills or releases not only present safety hazards, but also will increase the
amount of facility decontamination necessary at closure.
Keep good records. Industrywide, a great deal of money is wasted on testing and disposing of
unknown materials or in investigating areas with insufficient historical data. Good recordkeeping is
essential to keep both current and future waste management costs to a minimum.
Radioactive Waste
Since the splitting of the atom, both uranium and plutonium have been used to create bombs, provide
medical supplies and furnish energy. Not surprisingly, these uses create waste management problems:
what do you do with materials which stay radioactive for tens of thousands of years? The disposal of
most radioactive materials is regulated under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, as well as by
a radioactive material licensing program established by the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act
of 1978. While some states are subject to direct control by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Texas
also has its own laws and regulations relating to the use of radioactive materials and radioactive waste
disposal.
Nickel59, a lowlevel radioactive waste, has a halflife of 75,000 years in 75,000 years it will be half as
radioactive as today and will stay radioactive for upwards of 750,000 years. Humans in their present
form have roamed the earth for 100,000 years
High Level Radioactive Waste:
Radioactive material that results from the reprocessing of nuclear fuel from spent fuel rods removed
from nuclear power reactor (a machine that splits atoms to make radioactive heat to boil water used for
electricity generation) and from nuclear weapons. Highlevel radioactive waste is currently being stored
onsite at weapon manufacturing plants and power plants around the nation until a permanent disposal
site can be located.
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material:
Uranium and phosphate mining and a number of other industrial activities also generate mountains of
radioactive waste referred to as "tailings," which are one example of Naturally Occurring Radioactive
Material (NORM). Tailings are the radioactive soil and sand left on the ground after uranium ore has
been crushed and processed for its radioactivity. These waste contain uranium and radium as well as a
number of toxic chemicals. Increased incidence of cancer in some mine workers has been associated
with their exposure to these waste.
Transuranic Waste or TR:
Waste containing plutonium and other elements heavier than uranium. It comes mainly from the
nuclear weapons industry.

Characteristics of Industrial Wastewater

Industrial wastewater is the aqueous discard that results from the use of water in an industrial
manufacturing process or the cleaning activities that take place along with that process. Industrial
wastewater is the result of substances other than water having been dissolved or suspended in water.
The objective of industrial wastewater treatment is to remove those dissolved or suspended substances.
The best approach to working out an effective and efficient method of industrial wastewater treatment
is to examine those properties of water and of the dissolved or suspended substances that enabled or
caused the dissolution or suspension, then to deduce plausible chemical or physical actions that would
reverse those processes. Familiarity with the polar characteristics of water is fundamental to being able
to make such deductions.
Noise Pollution
Like air and water pollution noise is also emerging fast as a major pollutant to the environment. The roar
of jet planes, honking of buses, the screeching of rushing vehicles, wailing of emergency vehicle sirens,
whistling of railway engines, back fire from motor vehicles, the din of factories, the thunder of
construction machinery, are contributing to the high level of noise. The noise is just not confined to the
urban area but the countryside is also being shaken by the rattle of motorized farm implements, pump
sets, tractors, and buzzing of motor vehicles etc. Alongwith these the increasing use of televisions,
sound systems and loudspeakers without any check on their volume is also contributing to the growing
noise levels. Noise problem can be divided in two categories. First is the community noise wherein one
is concerned with annoyance caused to people in their indoor environment. It is the intrusion of noise
inside the dwellings above the allowable level mainly from vehicular traffic. The other is the intense
sound that exists in some workplaces like factories and traffic islands where there is a real danger of
permanent physical damage.
Prolonged exposure to excessive noise produces adverse physiological effects such as hypertension,
annoyance, disturbance in sleep and deafness etc. The noise has so far not been regarded as a fatal
pollutant because so far it was within limits. Except in industrial areas and big cities noise pollution was
not prominent and hence generally remained ignored from being treated as an environment pollutant.
With the increasing industrialization and commercialization of society and with consequential increase
in noise producing automobiles and machines, noise has become a slow poison to mankind. It is a
matter of thought that whether we should accept the increased noise as a price for progress, or should
shun the new technological advance all together to lead scheduled life. The other better way is to devise
and implement noise controlling techniques to reduce the adverse impacts of noise.

LEVELS OF NOISE
The sound pressure of the faintest sound that can be heard by a normal healthy individual is about 20
micro-Pascal. The loudest sound produced by a Saturn rocket at the lift off stage is about 200 Pa. This
large variation in sound pressure (varying from 20 Pa to 200 Pa) is usually avoided by expressing sound

pressure on a scale based on the log of the ratio of the measured sound pressure and a reference
standard pressure. Measurement on this scale is called levels. The sound level (L) is thus represented as,
L = log10 Q/Q0 (Bels)
Where Q = Measured quantity of sound pressure or sound power or sound intensity.
Q0 = Reference standard quantity of sound pressure.
L = Sound level in Bels.
A Bel is a large unit so for convenience it is divided into 10 subunits called decibels (dB). So when sound
level is expressed in decibels.
L = 10 log10 Q/Q0 (dB).
According to World Health Organization (WHO) a level of 45 dB is considered a safe noise level in a city.
However, a noise level of 65 dB can be tolerable as per the international standards. A report from
National Physical Laboratory (India) shows that there is an increase in the background noise level at the
rate of 1 dB per year.
EFFECTS OF NOISE
There is a bad effect of noise on human health depending upon the noise level, exposure time and the
health conditions. The effects of noise can be classified in the following ways:
Psychological and physiological effects.:- The noise of different levels has different psychological and
physiological effects. The following table shows some of them.
Noise level

65 dB
90 dB
100 dB
120 dB
150 dB

Noise level Effects

65 dB Noise may create annoyance up to this level, but it is only psychological (nervous
effect). Above this level physiological effects such as mental and physical fatigue may
occur.
Many years of exposure to such noise level would cause permanent hearing loss.
With short period of exposure to this noise level the aural acuity may be impaired
temporarily and prolonged exposure is likely to cause irreparable damage to the
auditory organ
Short exposure cause pain and other damages to human beings.
Causes instantaneous loss of hearing.

Actually the acceptance level of noise depends upon the state of mind and the expectation of a listener.
A person can bear the monotonous sound in a sleeper coach of a train as high as 70 dB and sleep
comfortably as he expects it and mentally prepared for it. The same person may get disturbed even by
the ticking of a clock at 20 dB in his bedroom.

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF NOISE

Effects on Human Body Function
Exposure to noise is likely to bring about activation of sympathetic nervous system in a similar way as
heat, cold, pain etc. One of the short time reactions is the change in blood circulation. The other effects
on brain and other organs are the increased release of insulin in pancreas, increase in the secretion of
oxitaxin and ADH from the posterior and it also decreases the detoxifying function of the liver including
aromatic substances with carcinogenic effects. Long time noise can produce stomach ulcer, reduced
flow of gastric juice and change in acidity neurosis, allergies and circulatory disease, abortion and other
congenital defects in children, deafness etc.
Sleep Interference
The main annoying effect of noise is the interruption on sleep. Sleep is a must and even one nights
missed sleep may disturb us. One can become short tempered and weary. Noise can interfere with sleep
even when the sleeping person is not awakened.
Effect on Working Efficiency
It has been proved that the working efficiency reduces with increase in noise. Reduction in noise from
96 dB to 87 dB has increased the performance by 12%. Reduction of noise either by sound proofing or
putting sound obstructing barriers improves the quality of work. It also reduces the industrial accidents.
The noise affects communication signals, so reduction of noise increases the efficiency.
Effect on Wild Life
Noise produces physiological effects on human as well as animal health. It has been surveyed that noise
has adversely affected the wildlife of the country. It has been observed by the zoo authorities that
animals particularly deer, lions, rhino etc. are the worst affected ones by the traffic noise. They become
dull, inactive, lesser reproductive and ill. Even the migratory birds are reduced if there is noise. In the
forests because of the human activity the noise increases and the animals like lion, tiger and elephants
feel segmentation and their reproduction is automatically reduced.
Effects on Non-living Things
Noise affects even the non-living things. High intensity noise may produce cracks into buildings. The
noise and vibrations from machinery result in shattering of foundations, loosening of plaster and cracks
in walls and house hold crockery.
CONTROL OF NOISE POLLUTION
Though the noise cannot be totally eliminated but can be reduced by adopting certain measures. The
basic principles of noise control are as follows.

Noise Control at Source

In an industry to control the noise at source the machinery should be equipped by effective silencers,
properly installed on the designed foundation and well maintained. Use of shock absorbing material,
efficient flow technique, reducing fluid jet velocities, restricting sound producing area, reducing peak
accelerations are some of the techniques of noise control at source. Use of guards, covers, enclosures
and muffler systems, sealing all openings, use of proper cutting speeds and feed rate are other ways of
noise reduction. The proper maintenance of machines by lubrication and timely replacement of bearings
is the main thing required for the control of noise at source.
Noise Control along the Path
The modification of sound path includes:
i. Use of solid high barriers to interrupt the direct transmission. Solid fences and high earth berms can be
provided up to attenuation along the highways.
ii. Increasing distance between the source and the receiver.
iii. By planting trees. Trees are very good absorber of the sound and otherwise also very much useful as
described earlier.
NOISE CONTROL AT RECEIVING END
To control the noise at receiver level following measures are adopted.
Double glazing windows in the building for improved sound proofing.
Gasketing and sealing door and windows openings.
Providing additional sound insulation for roofs and walls.
Isolate the operator from the noise.
By controlling hours of exposure to noise.
Use of personal protective devices like ear plugs, ear defenders, disposable ear plugs etc.
OTHER WAYS OF NOISE CONTROL
Forming legislation for noise levels for various types of equipment, land use pattern, declaration of
silence zone, restricting the use of loudspeakers are some of the ways of noise reduction. Actually, there
are rules and regulations but their implementation is difficult without the co-operation of masses.
Educating people about hazards of noise pollution and developing awareness at all levels can solve the
problem. The social workers should come up to ban the use of bands, orchestras, D.Js in the marriages
and other functions. The engineers should design the equipment with minimum noise. The industrialists
have to install and maintain the equipment & machinery properly. The vehicle drivers should owe to

restrict the use of horns of their vehicles unnecessarily. The students should owe to stop the use of
crackers on festivals and other moments of joy. The demonstrations should be silent ones. Society in
general can reduce the noise pollution if it really wants so.
MEASUREMENT OF NOISE
Sound level meters are used to measure any type of sound under different conditions and for a variety
of reasons. For such applications measurement technique is carefully selected and controlled to obtain
valid and consistent results. The measurements are generally taken at the receivers level i.e. 1.2 m
above ground (human ear position). The response of the meter depends upon the type of expected
sound. The primary components of a sound level meter are microphone, single conditioning electronics
and some form of filtering and an analog or digital indicator. The microphone is most important as it
converts acoustic signal into electrical signal. The microphone may be a carbon microphone, condenser
microphone, piezoelectric microphone or moving coil electrodynamic microphone etc. A good
microphone must produce minimum diffraction. This is made possible by keeping its dimensions small
compared to the weavelength of sound to be measured. Its output should not be affected by
temperature, humidity, wind, atmospheric pressure and magnetic field. It should have low electrical
noise and should have flat frequency response. The output should have no distortion. It should have
high acoustic impedance and should be strong built.
CONCLUSION
The noise level is increasing day by day in urban and rural both environments. It is detrimental in many
ways and particularly for human health. It causes annoyance, irritation, headache, insomnia, fatigue,
mental disorders, increased perspiration, nausea, high blood pressure, high pulse rate and other human
ailments. All measures should be adopted to reduce the noise at source level. If it is not possible to cut
down the noise then efforts should be made to reduce it in between, by say absorption by trees. Even
then if the sound reaching the listener is higher than permitted, personal protection should be done by
using ear plugs or dampeners. The duty hours should be such that prolonged exposure to noise is
restricted. The cities should be planned in such a way that the heavy traffic is always bye passed and the
other traffic should have a timely entry. The vehicles with distorted silencers should be heavily
panelized. Overloaded trucks produce more noise. Use of horns should be limited and the pressure
horns should be totally banned. Use of loudspeakers should be banned and all processions on the roads
should be banned. Use of fire crackers making loud sound, on festivals and other events should be
restricted by law, rather banning their production. Sound proofing should be done in factories and
industries and offices. By adopting all these measures the aim of noise control can be achieved.