Waste treatment for my manufacturing plant

[AJ95]

Hi guys,

So I'm currently designing a PFD which looks perfect at the moment in regards to all the mass balances and units like my batch reactors, centrifuge, ultrafiltration, cation exchange column etc....

Only problem i'm faced with currently is how to treat the waste coming out of the system.

I have a a stream with pichia pastoris, a stream with waste proteins and medium, elute waste, sublimated phosphate buffer. Does anyone have any knowledge on the best way to dispose of them safely?

Thanks for reading.

 

[ashtree]

AJ95

We probably need a bit more information on things like concentration and quantity, and what are your options for disposal.

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[AJ95]

The disposal method must be economically feasible and fit Hong Kongs regulations as this is where the plant is located.

I'll find out and get back to you on the conc. and quantity, however what's the significance of the concentration and quantity?

Also thanks for the reply!

 

[ashtree]

AJ95

Concentration and quantity gives an indication on what sort of process might be viable.
If for example you had only a few litres of waste the solution may be very different to if you had a million litres of waste.
Likewise a very diluted waste might be dealt with differently to a very concentrated waste.

I don't think many of us would be familiar with Hong Kong's regulations , but what options do you think might be available eg: to sewer, to land to ocean etc, or do you have to be zero discharge and you could look at recycling.

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[AJ95]

So what I need is less to do with the disposal it's more of the treatment I need to concentrate on.

I haven't been able to find much on the exact numbers for discharge levels, however I have found suspended solid levels need to exceed 20 mg/l and dissolved oxygen levels need to exceed 4mg/l... Is that sort of the same thing?

Also it be advisable to group all streams into one and treat them in a unit as one stream? If so what sort of unit?

I've found that activated carbon is really good for waste water. In regards to above would I could the addition of all streams as waste water and treat it as such?

Sorry for all the questions aha

 

[bimr]

To answer your question, one needs to know the volume of flow and the COD of the wastewater.

 

[AJ95]

In order to do that I need to determine whether to group all streams into one stream and treat them in a unit as one stream?

Then I could determine the volume flow and COD right?

The various streams include cooling water, pichia pastoris (yeast cells), interferon & growth medium, waste proteins & medium, elute waste, sublimated phosphate buffer

 

[bimr]

If the cooling water is non-contact, it does not have to go through wastewater treatment.

In most application, the total wastewater stream can be combined. To treat an individual stream, there would have to be a characteristic that is present that would make it more cost effective to separate the stream.

 

[AJ95]

I'm having trouble finding any literature on water discharge however I have found levels that shouldnt be exceeded for suspended solid levels and dissolved oxygen levels. I'm not sure if that would be sufficient?

Also from what I have researched thus far, I could combine all the streams into one and treat as such:
Pre treatment (screening, grinding and equilization) -> Primary Treatment (pH adjustment and to remove nutrients) ->Secondary Treatment (Removes soluble biodegradable organics) -> Tertiary Treatment (Removes non-biodegradable organics) -> Disinfection (Removes Living organisms) -> Disposal (Remove/accumulate redisual matter)
Would this make sense?

 

[bimr]

There will be limits on TSS, COD/BOD, grease and fats, organics, and solvents. You might get some ideas if you review the pharmaceutical guidelines.

http://www.epa.gov/eg/pharmaceutical-manufacturing-effluent-guidelines

"from what I have researched thus far, I could combine all the streams into one and treat as such:
Pre treatment (screening or centrifuge or filtration, grinding and equilization) -> Primary Treatment (pH adjustment and to remove nutrients) ->Secondary Treatment (Removes soluble biodegradable organics - Activated Sludge System)-> Tertiary Treatment (Removes non-biodegradable organics) -> Disinfection (Depends on the discharge point) (Removes Living organisms) -> Disposal of WWTP Residuals (Remove/accumulate residual matter)

 

[AJ95]

I really appreciate the adjustments you made!
I'll research further into everything and get back to you if anything strikes a chord

 

[AJ95]

So i've been told by my mentor that I should concentrate on the secondary treatment mainly.

From research, i've found that secondary treatment involves the following units: Activated Sludge -> Aerated Lagoon -> Trickling Filter -> Anaerobic Lagoon -> Stabilization basin

Does this sound suitable to the various streams in my waste water?
Also i've been seeing that a filter bed is more efficient than activated sludge, if so why is it not being used in main industries?

Thanks

 

[bimr]

The activated sludge process is the most common. If the wastewater is very high strength, then consider anaerobic.

A biological filter may work

 

[zelgar]

Limits on Suspended Solids will probably be a maximum allowed, whereas Dissolved Oxygen will be a minimum allowed (i.e., your discharge of SS should be lower than X, and the DO should be higher than Y).

 

[AJ95]

Okay so say i've made waterwaste treatment system up to the secondary treatment and the effluent stream from the last unit of the secondary treatment is in agreement with the discharge levels..

Would I require disinfection? or could I just straight dispose of it anywhere

 

[zelgar]

For disinfection, I would first check with the regulations. Additionally, you might not be able to achieve you DO concentrations without disinfection. Finally, when all is said and done, if you don't perform disinfection and the resulting discharge creates a problem (e.g., fish kill), it will probably be a lot more expensive to deal with the problem then performing the disinfection.

 

[bimr]

You will eventually have to obtain a wastewater discharge permit for your wastewater treatment plant. This permit can be either direct discharge to the environment or indirect discharge to a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

If you direct discharge, it is likely that disinfection will be required. Not so for indirect discharge.

Most industrial plants attempt indirect discharge since the permitting requirements are more abbreviated.

The other wastewater discharge parameters will also be spelled out in the permit.