Teknologi Bersih

Instructions:
1. Discuss the problems below in group of 3.
2. You may answer in Bahasa or English.

A chemical production site producing a variety of specialty chemicals has a problem

with its aqueous effluent. The site produces aqueous effluent that is currently discharged
without treatment. The effluent has a high load of organic material and has a low pH. The
regulatory authorities have demanded a reduction in the organic load before discharge of
90%, together with neutralization. An effluent treatment system has been designed and
costed. The treatment system consists of collecting all of the effluent steams together,
followed by neutralization using lime and then biological treatment. The cost of both the
neutralization and biological treatment operations are proportional to the volume of effluent
to be treated. The cost of biological treatment also increases with the load of organic material.
The cost of the treatment system is unacceptable, and the company is prepared to consider an
alternative solution based on waste minimization.

a. The worst effluent stream, in terms of its organic load, comes from Operation 1 of Plant A.
This effluent is created when an organic product is washed free of salts in an extraction
operation. This is done by mixing the product with water in a tank followed by separation
of the water from the organic product by settling in a decanter. The washing operation
picks up organic product as well as the salts. The salts are extremely soluble, whereas the
organic product is sparingly soluble. The effluent leaving this operation is saturated with
organic contaminants, but well below saturation for the salts. Taking this operation in
isolation, what can be done to reduce the effluent volume and organic load?

b. Another operation, Operation 2, in Plant A uses water in a cooling circuit. The water is
used for condensation of organic vapor by direct contact. In this operation, the organic
vapor is passed through a vessel into which is sprayed the cooling water. The resulting
two-phase mixture is again separated by settling in a decanter. The water becomes
saturated with organic contaminants and is recirculated through a cooling tower. A purge
must be taken from the cooling circuit, which is sent to effluent. This purge is another
highly contaminated effluent stream from Plant A. What can be done to reduce the effluent
 form Plant A as a whole by integrating Operations 1 and 2? Explain what effect your
suggestions are likely to have on the volume and the load.

c. Plant B uses water to scrub hydrogen chloride from a vent. The resulting water is highly
acidic but not contaminated with organic material. The other effluents on the site are
essentially neutral. Can anything be done to reduce the cost of treating the effluent?

d. Plant C produces an aqueous effluent contaminated with organic contaminants. In addition,

there is no policy for recovery of steam condensate resulting from the use of steam for
heating. Large quantities of steam condensate are sent to drain. There is also a large
cooling tower on-site that requires a large water makeup to compensate for evaporative
losses. The blowdown from the cooling tower is sent to drain and contains no organic
contaminants. Taking the site as a whole, what, in addition to the measures suggested so
far, can be done to reduce effluent treatment costs?