Environmental Issues in Manufacturing and Production

1. What are the differences between information collection for the design of a municipal and the
design for an industrial wastewater treatment plant? List the differences and briefly discuss their
process implication.

Answer:

Municipal wastewater streams are varied from households, agricultural, businesses, rain waters
and also wastewater coming from the industries. Wastewater in the industry is confined only on
its own facility. The 5W2H approach will help in data information collection for the design of a
municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant.
a. What data should be collected?
In the industry, the data that they usually gather for effluent analyses are the Acidity,
Alkalinity, BOD, COD, suspended solids, pH of the wastewater and other parameters
that is useful in data information collection to evaluate the effectiveness of their
wastewater treatment plant. In the municipal level, all the data that is needed to analyze
the wastewater quality should be gathered because of the larger and varied source of
municipal wastewater.
b. Who will do the data information collection?
The manpower in doing data information collection for the wastewater in a municipal is
very difficult because it lacks qualified personnel to handle the data information
collection of wastewater while in the industry they have the capability to hire competent
personnel who are expert in the wastewater treatment because it is mandated by the law
that industry must have their own expert personnel that will monitor their wastewater
generation and evaluate their water pollution control or waste minimization.
c. Why data information collection is done?
According to RA 9275 an Act providing for a comprehensive water quality management
which is also known as the Philippine Clean Water Act, data information collection will be
done in the industry to monitor their effluent discharge. The effluent discharge of every
industry is regulated in order not to pollute the surrounding body of water while in the
municipal they are not compelled to monitor and conduct wastewater analyses on their
waste streams because of the varied source of wastewater and sometimes excess flow
of wastewater during rains also release pathogens and other pollutants.
d. When is the data collected?
In the municipal level, the time of data collection takes longer because of the larger
scope and varied sources of wastewater. Because of the budgetary constraints that
affect the effective data gathering and the variation of the source of wastewater in the
municipal its data is not updated and data gathering is not being done regularly. In
industries, data gathering is very systematic and it is very convenient to test its effluent
because of the continuous and regular monitoring and evaluation of its wastewater
generation.
e. Where is the data being collected?
 In the industry, data information collections of the effluent samples are collected within
the company and the discharge point of this treated wastewater. It is easier to determine
where to gather the necessary data needed for the effluent analyses of the industry. In
the municipal wastewater, the data information collection is taken from a large scope
and varied type of wastewater sources. The collection of the data is quite time
consuming because of its larger scope.
f. How is data information collected?
In the industry, data collection in their wastewater is taken regularly to comply for the
environmental compliance set by the government. They have also the capability to
purchase the necessary equipment needed to analyze their wastewater in order that
they are environmentally compliant.
g. How much it cost for data information collection?
In the municipal, data collection of wastewater is very expensive because of the larger
scope and varied sources of wastewater. It also needs to analyze all the parameters in
the wastewater streams to effectively monitor their wastewater. In the industry, the cost
of collecting data is affordable for them because effective wastewater handling will result
to waste reduction and efficient production.

2. A municipal wastewater treatment plant that also treats wastewater from a seasonal canning
industry and is experiencing effluent discharge problems. When the industry is idle, they are
continually exceeding their effluent discharge criteria. What course of action would you take in
solving the problem?

Answer:

In solving the problem of the continual exceeding of effluent discharge criteria of a municipal
wastewater treatment plant is that they will go over their methods in treating the wastewater. Is
the method still viable and effective in treating the wastewater? Or maybe the existing system is
already cannot cope up with the wastewater loads that is treated? Because of the continuous
exceeding of the effluent discharge criteria it is somewhat that there is something wrong in the
treatment plant that should be taken care of. In the case of the seasonal canning industry that
rely on the municipal wastewater treatment plant in treating their wastewater, the local
government unit must see to it that the said industry must put up its own wastewater treatment
facility to treat its own wastewater so that the municipal will be release of the additional burden
in treating the wastewater generated by the canning industry.

3. How would you handle (remove) emulsified oils from an industrial wastewater?

Answer:
 Oil and Grease (O&G) are a common occurrence in wastewater. Oil appears in wastewater in a
number of different forms including free oil and grease (FOG), mechanically emulsified oil, oil
wet solids, chemically emulsified oil and dissolved oil.

Removing oil and grease from wastewater is relatively simple and cheap. Effective removal of
O&G requires an understanding of emulsions, mechanical versus chemical.

As for free oil, free oil rises rapidly to the surface of the water tank under calm conditions. The
droplet size is *150 microns. This oil can be removed by an overflow weir in the tank and a
skimmer. The traces can be removed by passing the wastewater through an adsorber tank
(such as a carbon tank) filled with organoclay.

Another method used in treating or removing the emulsified oils from industrial wastewater is
the oil/water separator. The design of oil/water separators is based on Stoke's Law. The lighter
oil droplets impact on the slant ribs of the media, coagulate and rise to the surface. The principle
of air flotation is that oil droplets will adhere to air and gas bubbles and rise to the surface of the
tank. Chemically emulsified oil can be removed by heating the water from 150 to 220 F.
However, this can become expensive.

Another method in treating emulsified oil from industrial wastewater based on the study
conducted by Marchese et. al. (2000) wastewater from a household appliance factory containing
emulsified oil was treated using a separation method based on an ultra filtration membrane.
Results on their study indicate that the fouling layer resistance of the membrane was the
dominant resistance and that it was mainly caused by the emulsified oil adsorption on the
surface and/or in the pore wall of the membrane. It is pointed out that by optimizing the process
design utilizing this membrane module, it is possible to successfully apply the ultra filtration
membrane technology to the treatment of industrial emulsified oil waste effluents.

4. You have no data, but you are asked to give a ball park estimate of the footprint for a waste
treatment technology that will handle a wastewater that is generated by 5,000 hogs. Outline the
approach you would take.

Answer:

a. Determine first the water consumption for the 1 hog which includes pig washing, pen
cleaning, pig drinking water, canal flushing and miscellaneous amount of water used.
The determination of amount of water consumed is very important for the ballpark
estimate to put up a wastewater treatment plant and to the size of the wastewater
treatment plant that would be installed. Pig urine and manures are also included in the
determination of the amount of wastewater generation because it usually flows in the
wastewater stream.
b. With the determination of amount of water used by a single hog then we could determine
the total water consumption of the 5,000 hogs which will be used to estimate the size of
the wastewater treatment plant.
c. Select wastewater treatment technology that is suitable for treatment of wastewater
generated by hogs.
d. Know the methods and systems used in handling the wastewater of hogs.
 e. After the water consumption is determined which is vital in the size of the wastewater
treatment plant and the wastewater treatment technology is selected then we can
estimate the necessary amount intended to put up a wastewater treatment plant.
f. Determine also the sizes of the pipes that will be used for hog waterer and the pipes
linking the hog fences to the wastewater treatment plant.
g. With these parameters, we can have a Ballpark estimates for a wastewater treatment
plant that will handle the wastewater generated by the 5,000 hogs.

5. An industry is expanding (150%), but they do not have any more land available for treating their
wastewater. The options of acquiring land nearby or relocating are not available. You are their
environmental consultant. Identify in point form your plan of action.

Answer:

a. Re-evaluate the existing wastewater treatment plant, maybe it is open for improvement
to cater additional wastewater loads without expanding its area.
b. If there is a possible way for improvement then apply cleaner production to assess the
present and the expansion to minimize the wastewater generation.
c. If in the evaluation the existing wastewater treatment plant will not be able to cope up the
additional wastewater then redesign the existing wastewater treatment plant so that it
could handle the additional wastewater loads.
d. Change the existing method of treating wastewater to a new method which is capable in
handling additional loads.

6. You as consultant, are asked to provide a ball park estimate for the cost of new wastewater
treatment plant to treat an industrial wastewater. Fortunately you know of the same type of
industry who treat their wastewater. You know the capital cost of the installation that is now 12
years old. So how would you go about your assignment?

Answer:

a. Determine the capital cost of the existing wastewater treatment plant of the same type of
industry.
b. Compare the size of the wastewater generation of the existing wastewater treatment
plant.
c. If they have different size of wastewater generation, compare the two using ratio and
proportion. C1/C2 = Q1/Q2
d. Calculation of capital cost determining the future worth of the capital cost of the existing
wastewater treatment plant.
Assumption:
Let Co = capital cost of installation 12 years ago
i = 12% interest
n = 12 years
 F Co 1 i
n

F Co 1 0.12
12

F 3.9Co

Based on the calculation using the future worth of the capital investment assumed rate
of interest at 12%, it shows that the original amount would cost 3.9 times the original
cost. Therefore, as a consultant my ballpark estimate for the cost of new wastewater
treatment plant will be 3.9 times the original amount of a wastewater treatment plant
installed 12 years ago.

7. A municipal waste management system (waste composition presented in table 1) utilizes source
separation with the efficiency of 83% (17% of MSW ends up to landfill directly). Separated
recoverable waste fractions are directed to material recovery (recycling of plastics and
composites, metals and glass) and energy recovery (biowaste, paper and cardboard and wood,
textiles and vulcanized rubber). Calculate
a. Material recovery rate (%)
b. Energy recovery rate (%)
c. Total recovery rate (%)

Ashes from energy recovery are disposed to landfill. There are no rejects from the material
recovery processes.

Table 1: System information

Waste fraction Composition Moisture Ash content

(weight %) (weight %) (dry matter)
(weight %)
Biowaste 49% 70% 15%
Plastics and Composites 10% 2% 4%
Paper and Cardboard 16% 6% 7%
Wood, textiles and vulcanized rubber 5% 7% 8%
Metals 4% 2% 91%
Glass 4% 2% 99%
Inert waste (to landfill) 12% 2% 100%
TOTAL 100%

Answer:

Waste fraction Composition Moisture Ash content Dry Matter

(weight %) (weight %) (dry matter) (weight %)
 (weight %)
Biowaste 49% 70% 15% 6.1%
Plastics and Composites 10% 2% 4% 8.3%
Paper and Cardboard 16% 6% 7% 11.6%
Wood, textiles and vulcanized rubber 5% 7% 8% 3.5%
Metals 4% 2% 91% 3.3%
Glass 4% 2% 99% 3.3%
Inert waste (to landfill) 12% 2% 100% 9.8%
TOTAL 100%

a.) Material recovery rate = 0.83 x composition x 100

Material recovery rate = 8.3% + 3.3% + 3.3%
Material recovery rate = 14.9%

b.) Energy recovery rate = (0.83 x composition x (100 moisture ash content)) x 100
Energy recovery rate = 6.1% + 11.6% + 3.5%
Energy recovery rate = 21.2%

c.) Total recovery rate = material recovery rate + energy recovery rate
Total recovery rate = 14.9% + 21.2%
Total recovery rate = 36.1%