Ethiopian Institute of Technology-Mekelle (EiT-M)

Industrial Engineering
Environmental pollution control and clear production (IEng5184)
Chapter two: Industrial Wastes, Emissions and Effluents
By: Desbelom W.
Chemical Engineering (Environmental Engineering)
What is WASTE ?

 Unwanted or unusable materials.

Any substance which is discarded after primary use, or it is worthless, defective and of
no use.

Industrial wastes: are wastes generated from the industrial sectors.

 Substance or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are

required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law”

Plastics factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, nuclear waste disposal activity, large
animal farms, coal-fired power plants, metals production factories and other heavy
industry all contribute to land pollution.
 KINDS OF WASTES

Solid wastes: wastes in solid forms, domestic, commercial and industrial wastes

 Any garbage or refuse (Municipal Solid Waste)

 Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air
pollution control facility

 Other discarded material

 Solid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material from industrial, commercial,

mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities

Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form

 Liquid waste includes sewage as well as wastewater from industrial processes
such as food and agricultural processing, and manufacturing.

Examples: domestic washings, chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds,

manufacturing industries and other sources

Liquid waste can be subdivided into other waste types based on the nature of the
liquid waste and the risks it poses.

Example, wastewater may contain organic substances and nutrients that are of value
to agriculture, or may be hazardous due to the chemicals or pathogens it contains
 Classification of waste

 Based on their degradability

Biodegradable waste- can be degraded( paper, wood, fruits and others)

Non-biodegradable waste-cannot be degraded(plastics, bottles, old machines, cans etc.)

Based on their effect

Hazardous wastes: Substances unsafe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or

economically and have any of the following properties-ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity &
toxicity.

Non-hazardous: Substances safe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or

economically and do not have any of those properties mentioned above. These substances usually
create disposal problems.
Based on their origin(generation) and type

Municipal Solid wastes: Solid wastes that include household garbage, rubbish, construction &
demolition debris, sanitation residues, packaging materials, trade refuges etc. are managed by
any municipality.

Industrial wastes: Liquid and solid wastes that are generated by manufacturing & processing
units of various industries like chemical, petroleum, coal, metal gas, sanitary & paper etc.

Agricultural wastes: Wastes generated from farming activities. These substances are mostly
biodegradable

Radioactive wastes: Waste containing radioactive materials. Usually these are byproducts of
nuclear processes. Sometimes industries that are not directly involved in nuclear activities, may
also produce some radioactive wastes, e.g. radio-isotopes, chemical sludge etc.
E-wastes: Electronic wastes generated from any modern establishments. They may
be described as discarded electrical or electronic devices. Some electronic scrap
components, may contain contaminants such as Pb, Cd, Be or brominated flame
retardants.

Bio-medical wastes: Solid or liquid wastes including containers, intermediate or

end products generated during diagnosis, treatment & research activities of medical
sciences.
 Pollution prevention [vs. control]:

 Pollution prevention [vs. control] offers important economic benefits and at the same

time allows continued protection of the environment.

 By reducing the amount of raw materials that are wasted and disposed of; manufacturing

processes become more efficient, resulting in cost savings to the company.

 Pollution prevention should be the first consideration in planning for processes that emit

air contaminants
 Pollution prevention is the elimination or prevention of wastes (air emissions, water

discharges, or solid/hazardous waste) at the source. In other words, pollution prevention

is eliminating wastes before they are generated.
 Cont…

• Pollution prevention approaches can be applied to all pollution generating activity:

hazardous and nonhazardous, regulated and unregulated. Pollution prevention does not
include practices that create new risks of concern.
 Pollution prevention can encompass activities such as:

1. Redesigning products to cause less waste or pollution during manufacture,

use, or disposal

2. Altering production processesto minimize the use of toxic chemicals

3. implementing better housekeeping practices to minimize leaks and fugitive

releases from manufacturing processes
 Cont…

Environmental management system

Environmental management system hierarchy

 Cont…

Levels of The Environmental Management Hierarchy

 4 levels of EMSH
1. Source reduction
2. Recycling/Reuse
3. Treatment
4. Disposal
 Cont…

1. Source Reduction Techniques:

 Cont…

Reuse:
 Reuse is the action or practice of using something again, whether for its original

purpose (conventional reuse) or to fulfill a different function (creative reuse or

repurposing).
 It should be distinguished from recycling, which is the breaking down of used items to

make raw materials for the manufacture of new products.

 Reuse by taking, but not reprocessing, previously used items helps save time, money,

energy and resources.

 In broader economic terms, it can make quality products available to people and
 Cont…

Recycling
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as
trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.
Benefits of Recycling
• Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
• Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
• Saves energy
• Supports manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
• Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries
 Cont…

Clean production:
End