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94-679: Industrial wastewater treatment plants produce solids that are also referred to as sludge. This can be generated from biological or physical-chemical processes. In the activated sludge process for wastewater treatment, the terms "waste activated sludge" and "return activated sludge" are used. Sludge from the food-processing and beverage-making industries can have a high content of protein and other nutrients. Thus, it can be processed for beneficial uses such as animal feed, rather than being landfilled . There are several types of sludge, often categorized by their origin or processing stages: Sludge composition varies significantly based on its source and

188-435: A CWT plant, rather than perform treatment on site, due to constraints such as limited land availability, difficulty in designing and operating an on-site system, or limitations imposed by environmental regulations and permits. A manufacturer may determine that using a CWT is more cost-effective than treating the waste itself; this is often the case where the manufacturer is a small business. CWT plants often receive wastes from

282-428: A business or commercial occupancy. This can be restaurants, retail occupants, manufacturing occupants or similar businesses. Typically, commercial waste contains similar items such as food scraps, cardboard, paper, and shipping materials. Generally speaking, commercial waste creates more waste than household waste on a per location basis. The EPA defines this type of waste as "Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris

376-658: A combination of broken glassware, floor sweepings, non-repairable household goods, non-recyclable plastic and metal, clothing, and furnishings. Additionally, ashes, soot, and residential renovation waste materials are also included under this definition. This type of waste is typically generated from hospitals , physicians' offices, dental practices , blood banks , veterinary offices, and research facilities . This waste has often been contaminated with bodily fluids from humans or animals. Examples of this type of contamination can include blood , vomit , urine , and other bodily fluids. Concerns started to generate when medical waste

470-503: A growing market in the transboundary movement of waste, and although most waste that flows between countries goes between developed nations, a significant amount of waste is moved from developed to developing nations. The economic costs of managing waste are high, and are often paid for by municipal governments ; money can often be saved with more efficiently designed collection routes, modifying vehicles, and with public education. Environmental policies such as pay as you throw can reduce

564-776: A large percentage of munitions waste is generated by the government or governmental contractors, residents also throw away expired or faulty ammunition inside their household waste. Every year, the US generates this type of waste from both the commercial and consumer aspects. This waste is often generated from fireworks, signal flares and hobby rockets which have been damaged, failed to operate or for other reasons. Due to their chemical properties, these types of devices are extremely dangerous. While automobile airbag propellants are not as common as munitions and fireworks , they share similar properties which makes them extremely hazardous. Airbag propellants characteristics of reactivity and ignitability are

658-435: A lot of waste-waters such as paper and pulp production have created environmental concern, leading to development of processes to recycle water use within plants before they have to be cleaned and disposed. An industrial wastewater treatment plant may include one or more of the following rather than the conventional treatment sequence of sewage treatment plants: Brine treatment involves removing dissolved salt ions from

752-602: A lubricant and coolant. Contaminants include hydraulic oils , tallow and particulate solids. Final treatment of iron and steel products before onward sale into manufacturing includes pickling in strong mineral acid to remove rust and prepare the surface for tin or chromium plating or for other surface treatments such as galvanisation or painting . The two acids commonly used are hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid . Wastewater include acidic rinse waters together with waste acid. Although many plants operate acid recovery plants (particularly those using hydrochloric acid), where

846-445: A major source of industrial wastewater. Many of these plants discharge wastewater with significant levels of metals such as lead , mercury , cadmium and chromium , as well as arsenic , selenium and nitrogen compounds ( nitrates and nitrites ). Wastewater streams include flue-gas desulfurization , fly ash , bottom ash and flue gas mercury control. Plants with air pollution controls such as wet scrubbers typically transfer

940-817: A particular problem in treating waters generated in wool processing. Animal fats may be present in the wastewater, which if not contaminated, can be recovered for the production of tallow or further rendering. Textile dyeing plants generate wastewater that contain synthetic (e.g., reactive dyes, acid dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, vat dyes, sulphur dyes, mordant dyes, direct dyes, ingrain dyes, solvent dyes, pigment dyes) and natural dyestuff, gum thickener (guar) and various wetting agents, pH buffers and dye retardants or accelerators. Following treatment with polymer-based flocculants and settling agents, typical monitoring parameters include BOD, COD, color (ADMI), sulfide, oil and grease, phenol, TSS and heavy metals (chromium, zinc , lead, copper). Industrial applications where oil enters

1034-1156: A pre-treatment system to remove some pollutants (e.g., toxic compounds), and then discharge the partially treated wastewater to the municipal sewer system. Most industries produce some wastewater . Recent trends have been to minimize such production or to recycle treated wastewater within the production process. Some industries have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce or eliminate pollutants. Sources of industrial wastewater include battery manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, electric power plants, food industry , iron and steel industry, metal working, mines and quarries, nuclear industry, oil and gas extraction , petroleum refining and petrochemicals , pharmaceutical manufacturing, pulp and paper industry , smelters, textile mills , industrial oil contamination , water treatment and wood preserving . Treatment processes include brine treatment, solids removal (e.g. chemical precipitation, filtration), oils and grease removal, removal of biodegradable organics, removal of other organics, removal of acids and alkalis, and removal of toxic materials. Industrial facilities may generate

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1128-655: A profit. This sector can significantly alter or reduce waste in a particular system, but other negative economic effects come with the disease, poverty, exploitation, and abuse of its workers. People in developing countries suffer from contaminated water and landfills caused by unlawful government policies that allow first-world countries and companies to transport their trash to their homes and oftentimes near bodies of water. Those same governments do not use any waste trade profits to create ways to manage landfills or clean water sources. Photographer Kevin McElvaney documents

1222-478: A significant amount of greenhouse gases . When the burned waste contains metals, it can create toxic gases . On the other hand, when the waste contains plastics, the gases produce contain CO 2 . As global warming and CO 2 emissions increase, soil begins to become a larger carbon sink and will become increasingly valuable for plant life. Waste management is a significant environmental justice issue. Many of

1316-505: A stop to the waste trade, the creation of wastewater treatment facilities, and providing a clean and accessible water source. The health of all these people in landfills and water are human necessities/rights that are being taken away. Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal . This includes the collection , transport , treatment , and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of

1410-412: A wastewater rich in hardness ions which are readily precipitated out, especially when in admixture with other wastewater constituents. Wood preserving plants generate conventional and toxic pollutants, including arsenic, COD, copper, chromium, abnormally high or low pH, phenols, suspended solids, oil and grease. The various types of contamination of wastewater require a variety of strategies to remove

1504-514: A wide variety of manufacturers, including chemical plants, metal fabrication and finishing; and used oil and petroleum products from various manufacturing sectors. The wastes may be classified as hazardous , have high pollutant concentrations or otherwise be difficult to treat. In 2000 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published wastewater regulations for CWT facilities in the US. The specific pollutants discharged by organic chemical manufacturers vary widely from plant to plant, depending on

1598-625: Is a type of waste that is not included in municipal solid waste (MSW)." Items typically found in C&;D include but are not limited to steel, wood products, drywall and plaster, brick and clay tile, asphalt shingles, concrete, and asphalt. Generally speaking, construction and demolition waste can be categorized as any components needed to build infrastructures. In 2018, the EPA estimated that the US generated approximately 600 million tons of C&D waste .   The waste generated by construction and demolition

1692-579: Is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product , by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value . A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero. Examples include municipal solid waste (household trash/refuse), hazardous waste , wastewater (such as sewage , which contains bodily wastes ( feces and urine ) and surface runoff ), radioactive waste , and others. What constitutes waste depends on

1786-498: Is commonly referred to as the Military Munitions Rule. The EPA defines military munitions as "all types of both conventional and chemical ammunition products and their components, produced by or for the military for national defense and security (including munitions produced by other parties under contract to or acting as an agent for DOD—in the case of Government Owned/Contractor Operated [GOCO] operations)." While

1880-500: Is extremely important to understand the necessary protocols and follow the correct precautions. Failure to handle and recycle these materials can have catastrophic consequences and potentially damage the site's ecosystems for years to come. Radioactive waste is monitored and regulated by multiple governmental agencies such as Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of

1974-423: Is generated and what type of treatment is required. Reducing solids such as waste product, organic materials, and sand is often a goal of industrial wastewater treatment. Some common ways to reduce solids include primary sedimentation (clarification), dissolved air flotation (DAF), belt filtration (microscreening), and drum screening. Waste Waste (or wastes ) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste

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2068-413: Is generated from nuclear reactors or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. Transuranic Waste : This type of radioactive waste is man-made and has an atomic number of 92 or higher. Uranium or thorium mill tailings: This type of radioactive waste is a result after the mining or milling or uranium or thorium ore. Low-level waste : This type of radioactive waste is radioactively contaminated waste. It

2162-573: Is in the Federal Register , while the updated version is in the Code of Federal Regulations . The directive aims to promote the safe use of sewage sludge in agriculture while protecting human health, soil, water, and the environment. It prohibits untreated sludge on agricultural land unless properly incorporated into the soil, mandates adherence to plant nutrient requirements, and prevents soil and water contamination. The Directive also supports

2256-518: Is often intended to be reused or is sent to the landfill. Examples of reused waste is milled asphalt can be used again for the asphalt mixture or fill dirt can be used to level grade. The EPA defines hazardous waste as "a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment."   Hazardous Waste falls under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) .  Under

2350-416: Is produced by various industries such as nuclear power plants , nuclear reactors , hospitals, research centers, and mining facilities. Any activity that involves radioactive material can generate radioactive waste. Furthermore, such waste emits radioactive particles, which if not handled correctly, can be both an environmental hazard as well as a human health hazard. When dealing with radioactive waste, it

2444-494: Is similar for other highly scaling industrial wastewaters. Wastewater generated from agricultural and food processing operations has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from common municipal wastewater managed by public or private sewage treatment plants throughout the world: it is biodegradable and non-toxic, but has high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS). The constituents of food and agriculture wastewater are often complex to predict, due to

2538-489: Is typically generated from industrial processes or research. Examples of these items include paper, protective clothing, bags, and cardboard. Technologically enhanced naturally-occurring radioactive material (TENORM): This type of radioactive waste is created through human activity such as mining, oil and gas drilling, and water treatment where naturally-occurring radiological material (NORM) becomes concentrated. The EPA defines energetic hazardous waste as "wastes that have

2632-437: Is underway to determine whether revisions are necessary to meet contemporary environmental, health, and resource efficiency needs. This waste -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Industrial wastewater treatment Industrial wastewater treatment describes the processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries as an undesirable by-product. After treatment,

2726-789: Is used as a regulatory parameter in some discharge permits. Metal pollutant discharges may include chromium , copper , lead , nickel and zinc . The inorganic chemicals sector covers a wide variety of products and processes, although an individual plant may produce a narrow range of products and pollutants. Products include aluminum compounds; calcium carbide and calcium chloride; hydrofluoric acid; potassium compounds; borax; chrome and fluorine-based compounds; cadmium and zinc-based compounds. The pollutants discharged vary by product sector and individual plant, and may include arsenic, chlorine, cyanide, fluoride; and heavy metals such as chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc. Fossil-fuel power stations , particularly coal -fired plants, are

2820-469: Is wet, and plastic or glass bottles can have different weights but be the same size. On a global scale it is difficult to report waste because countries have different definitions of waste and what falls into waste categories, as well as different ways of reporting. Based on incomplete reports from its parties, the Basel Convention estimated 338 million tonnes of waste was generated in 2001. For

2914-592: The RCRA , the EPA has the authority to control hazardous waste during its entire lifecycle. This means from the point of creation to the point where it has been properly disposed of. The life cycle of hazardous waste includes generation, transportation, treatment, and storage and disposal. All of which are included in the RCRA. Some forms of hazardous waste include radioactive waste , explosive waste, and electronic waste . Radioactive waste, often referred to as nuclear waste ,

Sludge - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-851: The pulp and paper industry is generally high in suspended solids and BOD. Plants that bleach wood pulp for paper making may generate chloroform , dioxins (including 2,3,7,8-TCDD ), furans , phenols and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Stand-alone paper mills using imported pulp may only require simple primary treatment, such as sedimentation or dissolved air flotation . Increased BOD or COD loadings, as well as organic pollutants, may require biological treatment such as activated sludge or upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors . For mills with high inorganic loadings like salt, tertiary treatments may be required, either general membrane treatments like ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis or treatments to remove specific contaminants, such as nutrients. The pollutants discharged by nonferrous smelters vary with

3102-621: The EU's circular economy goals. It also identified a need to regulate other sludge uses and consider interactions with newer policies, such as the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Since then, scientific advances, policy changes, and new EU strategies (e.g., Circular Economy Action Plan, Farm to Fork Strategy, Biodiversity Strategy 2030) have underscored the need to update the SSD. A comprehensive evaluation

3196-624: The EU's waste hierarchy by encouraging safe recycling of nutrients like phosphorus , aligning with circular economy principles and the European Green Deal's zero pollution goals. Using treated sludge as an alternative to chemical fertilizers reduces dependence on raw material extraction but requires strict control to avoid spreading contaminants. A 2014 evaluation of the SSD highlighted shortcomings due to its outdated framework, including gaps in addressing modern pollutants (e.g., pharmaceuticals , microplastics ) and its alignment with

3290-834: The Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship in November 2010. The overall goal for this task was to develop a national strategy for handling and proper disposal of electronic waste. The task force would work with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), EPA, and the US General Services Administration (GSA). The task force released its final product, the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship report . The report focuses on four goals of

3384-801: The Interior (DOI).  Each agency plays an important role in creating, handling, and properly disposing of radioactive waste. A brief description of each agency's role can be found below. NRC: "Licenses and regulates the receipt and possession of high-level waste at privately owned facilities and at certain DOE facilities." DOE: "Plans and carries out programs for sand handling of DOE-generated radioactive wastes, develops waste disposal technologies, and will design, construct and operate disposal facilities for DOE-generated and commercial high-level wastes." EPA: "Develops environmental standards and federal radiation protection guidance for offsite radiation due to

3478-520: The United States. The EPA has estimated that approximately 10.1 million tons of plastic containers and packaging ended up landfills in 2018. The EPA noted that only 30.5% of plastic containers and packaging was recycled or combusted as an energy source. Additionally, approximately 940,000 pounds of cardboard ends up in the landfill each year. Commercial waste is very similar to household waste. To be considered as commercial waste, it must come from

3572-631: The Waste Directive, see the European Commission's summary . Metabolic wastes or excrements are substances left over from metabolic processes (such as cellular respiration ) which cannot be used by the organism (they are surplus or toxic ), and must therefore be excreted . This includes nitrogen compounds, water , CO 2 , phosphates , sulphates , etc. Animals treat these compounds as excretes. Plants have metabolic pathways which transforms some of them (primarily

3666-585: The airbag waste collection facility is not exempt. Once the airbags have met the collection center, it will then be classified as RCRA hazardous waste and must be disposed or recycled at a RCRA disposal facility. Electronic waste , often referred to as "E-Waste" or "E-Scrap," are often thrown away or sent to a recycler. E-Waste continues to end up in landfills across the world. The EPA estimates that in 2009, 2.37 million tons of televisions, computers, cell phones, printers, scanners, and fax machines were discarded by US consumers. Only 25% of these devices were recycled;

3760-578: The application of biosolids to protect soil health and groundwater quality. There is also increasing concern over " forever chemicals " like PFAS ( per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ) that can accumulate in sludge and pose long-term environmental risks. Many countries have established regulatory frameworks for sludge management. In the United States , for instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees

3854-533: The base metal ore. Bauxite smelters generate phenols but typically use settling basins and evaporation to manage these wastes, with no need to routinely discharge wastewater. Aluminum smelters typically discharge fluoride , benzo(a)pyrene , antimony and nickel , as well as aluminum. Copper smelters typically generate cadmium , lead, zinc, arsenic and nickel, in addition to copper, in their wastewater. Lead smelters discharge lead and zinc. Nickel and cobalt smelters discharge ammonia and copper in addition to

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3948-628: The base metals. Zinc smelters discharge arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc. Typical treatment processes used in the industry are chemical precipitation, sedimentation and filtration. Textile mills , including carpet manufacturers, generate wastewater from a wide variety of processes, including cleaning and finishing, yarn manufacturing and fabric finishing (such as bleaching , dyeing , resin treatment, waterproofing and retardant flameproofing ). Pollutants generated by textile mills include BOD, SS, oil and grease, sulfide, phenols and chromium. Insecticide residues in fleeces are

4042-632: The bioaccumulation of strontium by Scenedesmus spinosus ( algae ) in simulated wastewater. The study claims a highly selective biosorption capacity for strontium of S. spinosus, suggesting that it may be appropriate for use of nuclear wastewater. Oil and gas well operations generate produced water , which may contain oils, toxic metals (e.g. arsenic , cadmium , chromium , mercury, lead), salts, organic chemicals and solids. Some produced water contains traces of naturally occurring radioactive material . Offshore oil and gas platforms also generate deck drainage, domestic waste and sanitary waste. During

4136-416: The captured pollutants to the wastewater stream. Ash ponds , a type of surface impoundment, are a widely used treatment technology at coal-fired plants. These ponds use gravity to settle out large particulates (measured as total suspended solids ) from power plant wastewater. This technology does not treat dissolved pollutants. Power stations use additional technologies to control pollutants, depending on

4230-658: The characteristics which qualify for hazardous waste. When disposed undeployed, leaves these two hazardous characteristics intact. To properly dispose of these items, they must be safely deployed which removes these hazardous characteristics. The EPA includes the waste of automobile airbag propellants under the RCRA. In 2018, the EPA issued a final rule on handling of automobile airbag propellants. The " interim final rule "provides an exemption of entities which install and remove airbags. This includes automobile dealerships, salvage yards, automobile repair facilities and collision centers. The handler and transporter are exempt from RCRA, but

4324-511: The contamination. Most industrial processes, such as petroleum refineries , chemical and petrochemical plants have onsite facilities to treat their wastewaters so that the pollutant concentrations in the treated wastewater comply with the regulations regarding disposal of wastewaters into sewers or into rivers, lakes or oceans. Constructed wetlands are being used in an increasing number of cases as they provided high quality and productive on-site treatment. Other industrial processes that produce

4418-672: The cost of management and reduce waste quantities. Waste recovery (that is, recycling , reuse ) can curb economic costs because it avoids extracting raw materials and often cuts transportation costs. "Economic assessment of municipal waste management systems – case studies using a combination of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle costing (LCC)". The location of waste treatment and disposal facilities often reduces property values due to noise, dust, pollution, unsightliness, and negative stigma. The informal waste sector consists mostly of waste pickers who scavenge for metals, glass, plastic, textiles, and other materials and then trade them for

4512-642: The differences in BOD and pH in effluents from vegetable, fruit, and meat products and due to the seasonal nature of food processing and post-harvesting. Processing of food from raw materials requires large volumes of high grade water. Vegetable washing generates water with high loads of particulate matter and some dissolved organic matter . It may also contain surfactants and pesticides. Aquaculture facilities (fish farms) often discharge large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as suspended solids. Some facilities use drugs and pesticides, which may be present in

4606-644: The disposal of FOG in the sewer system. Food processing activities such as plant cleaning, material conveying, bottling, and product washing create wastewater. Many food processing facilities require on-site treatment before operational wastewater can be land applied or discharged to a waterway or a sewer system. High suspended solids levels of organic particles increase BOD and can result in significant sewer surcharge fees. Sedimentation, wedge wire screening, or rotating belt filtration (microscreening) are commonly used methods to reduce suspended organic solids loading prior to discharge. Glass manufacturing wastes vary with

4700-539: The disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level and transuranic radioactive wastes." DOT: "Regulates both the packaging and carriage of all hazardous materials including radioactive waste." DOI: "Through the U.S. Geological Survey, conducts laboratory and field geologic investigations in support of DOE's waste disposal programs and collaborates with DOE on earth science technical activities." The US currently defines five types of radioactive waste, as shown below. High-level Waste : This type of radioactive waste

4794-671: The drilling process, well sites typically discharge drill cuttings and drilling mud (drilling fluid). Pollutants discharged at petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants include conventional pollutants (BOD, oil and grease, suspended solids ), ammonia, chromium, phenols and sulfides. Pharmaceutical plants typically generate a variety of process wastewaters, including solvents, spent acid and caustic solutions, water from chemical reactions, product wash water, condensed steam, blowdown from air pollution control scrubbers, and equipment washwater. Non-process wastewaters typically include cooling water and site runoff. Pollutants generated by

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4888-407: The dumpsite. There are piles of waste used as makeshift bridges over lakes, with metals and chemicals just seeping into the water and groundwater that could be linked to homes' water systems. The same unfortunate situation and dumps/landfills can be seen in similar countries that are considered the third world, such as other West African countries and China . Many are advocating for waste management,

4982-455: The earth. It requires energy to operate the equipment to mine these metals, which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Donating e-waste to recycling centers or refurbishing this equipment can reduce the greenhouse gases emitted through the mining process as well as decrease the use of natural resources to ensure future generations will have sufficient access to these resources. As this issue continued to grow, President Obama established

5076-404: The environmental burdens cited above are more often borne by marginalized groups, such as racial minorities, women, and residents of developing nations. NIMBY (not in my back yard) is the opposition of residents to a proposal for a new development because it is close to them. However, the need for expansion and siting of waste treatment and disposal facilities is increasing worldwide. There is now

5170-457: The ever increasing discharge standards, there has been an emergence of the use of advance oxidation processes for the treatment of brine. Some notable examples such as Fenton's oxidation and ozonation have been employed for degradation of recalcitrant compounds in brine from industrial plants. Reverse osmosis may not be viable for brine treatment, due to the potential for fouling caused by hardness salts or organic contaminants, or damage to

5264-408: The exposure to air and water that inevitably occurs when the tailings are disposed of in large impoundments. The resulting acid mine drainage , which is often rich in heavy metals (because acids dissolve metals), is one of the many environmental impacts of mining . The waste production from the nuclear and radio-chemicals industry is dealt with as Radioactive waste . Researchers have looked at

5358-554: The eye of the beholder; one person's waste can be a resource for another person. Though waste is a physical object, its generation is a physical and psychological process. The definitions used by various agencies are as below. According to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal of 1989, Art. 2(1), " 'Wastes' are substance or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by

5452-466: The federal government's plan to enhance the management of electronics: 1.     Incentivizing greener design of electronics 2.     Leading by example 3.     Increasing domestic recycling 4.     Reducing harmful exports of e-waste and building capacity in developing countries. E-Waste is not only a problem in the US, but also a global issue. Tackling this issue requires collaboration from multiple agencies across

5546-857: The following industrial wastewater flows: Industrial wastewater could add the following pollutants to receiving water bodies if the wastewater is not treated and managed properly: The specific pollutants generated and the resultant effluent concentrations can vary widely among the industrial sectors. Battery manufacturers specialize in fabricating small devices for electronics and portable equipment (e.g., power tools), or larger, high-powered units for cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles. Pollutants generated at manufacturing plants includes cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, cyanide, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, silver, zinc, oil and grease. A centralized waste treatment (CWT) facility processes liquid or solid industrial wastes generated by off-site manufacturing facilities. A manufacturer may send its wastes to

5640-433: The geologic formations that harbour economically valuable metals such as copper and gold very often consist of sulphide-type ores. The processing entails grinding the rock into fine particles and then extracting the desired metal(s), with the leftover rock being known as tailings. These tailings contain a combination of not only undesirable leftover metals, but also sulphide components which eventually form sulphuric acid upon

5734-409: The industry include acetone , ammonia, benzene, BOD, chloroform, cyanide, ethanol , ethyl acetate , isopropanol , methylene chloride , methanol , phenol and toluene. Treatment technologies used include advanced biological treatment (e.g. activated sludge with nitrification), multimedia filtration , cyanide destruction (e.g. hydrolysis ), steam stripping and wastewater recycling. Effluent from

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5828-422: The infectious waste was incinerated before 1997. Due to the potential of negatively affect air quality, alternative treatment and disposal technologies for medical waste was developed. These new alternatives include: There are many issues that surround reporting waste. It is most commonly measured by size or weight, and there is a stark difference between the two. For example, organic waste is much heavier when it

5922-425: The items that are collected by municipalities end up in landfills across the world. In the United States, it is estimated that 11.3 million tons of textile waste is generated. On an individual level, it is estimated that the average American throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes each year. As online shopping becomes more prevalent, items such as cardboard, bubble wrap, shipping envelopes are ending up in landfills across

6016-492: The management of mixed waste is regulated by the EPA and RCRA and Atomic Energy Act . The hazardous materials content is regulated by RCRA while the radiological component is regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Mixed waste can also be defined as a type of waste which includes recyclable materials and organic materials.  Some examples of mixed waste in this context include

6110-1751: The mineral acid is boiled away from the iron salts, there remains a large volume of highly acid ferrous sulfate or ferrous chloride to be disposed of. Many steel industry wastewaters are contaminated by hydraulic oil, also known as soluble oil. Many industries perform work on metal feedstocks (e.g. sheet metal, ingots ) as they fabricate their final products. The industries include automobile, truck and aircraft manufacturing; tools and hardware manufacturing; electronic equipment and office machines; ships and boats; appliances and other household products; and stationary industrial equipment (e.g. compressors, pumps, boilers). Typical processes conducted at these plants include grinding , machining , coating and painting, chemical etching and milling , solvent degreasing , electroplating and anodizing . Wastewater generated from these industries may contain heavy metals (common heavy metal pollutants from these industries include cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, silver and zinc), cyanide and various chemical solvents, oil, and grease. The principal waste-waters associated with mines and quarries are slurries of rock particles in water. These arise from rainfall washing exposed surfaces and haul roads and also from rock washing and grading processes. Volumes of water can be very high, especially rainfall related arisings on large sites. Some specialized separation operations, such as coal washing to separate coal from native rock using density gradients , can produce wastewater contaminated by fine particulate haematite and surfactants . Oils and hydraulic oils are also common contaminants. Wastewater from metal mines and ore recovery plants are inevitably contaminated by

6204-476: The minerals present in the native rock formations. Following crushing and extraction of the desirable materials, undesirable materials may enter the wastewater stream. For metal mines, this can include unwanted metals such as zinc and other materials such as arsenic . Extraction of high value metals such as gold and silver may generate slimes containing very fine particles in where physical removal of contaminants becomes particularly difficult. Additionally,

6298-428: The oxygen compounds) into useful substances. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development also known as OECD defines municipal solid waste (MSW) as "waste collected and treated by or for municipalities". Typically this type of waste includes household waste , commercial waste , and demolition or construction waste. In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that 292.4 tons of municipal waste

6392-472: The particular wastestream in the plant. These include dry ash handling, closed-loop ash recycling, chemical precipitation , biological treatment (such as an activated sludge process), membrane systems, and evaporation-crystallization systems. Technological advancements in ion-exchange membranes and electrodialysis systems has enabled high efficiency treatment of flue-gas desulfurization wastewater to meet recent EPA discharge limits. The treatment approach

6486-410: The pollutant concentrations in the treated wastewater comply with the regulations regarding disposal of wastewaters into sewers or into rivers, lakes or oceans . This applies to industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of organic matter (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds ) or nutrients such as ammonia . Some industries install

6580-410: The potential to detonate and bulk military propellants which cannot safely be disposed of through other modes of treatments." The items which typically fall under this category include munitions , fireworks, flares, hobby rockets, and automobile propellants. Munitions were added to hazardous waste in 1997 when the EPA finalized RCRA. A special rule was added to address munitions in waste. This new rule

6674-576: The prime mover is concentrated salt water. As a result, evaporation systems typically employ titanium or duplex stainless steel materials. Brine management examines the broader context of brine treatment and may include consideration of government policy and regulations, corporate sustainability , environmental impact, recycling, handling and transport, containment, centralized compared to on-site treatment, avoidance and reduction, technologies, and economics. Brine management shares some issues with leachate management and more general waste management . In

6768-562: The processing of raw materials into intermediate and final products, the consumption of final products, and other human activities. Residuals recycled or reused at the place of generation are excluded." Under the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC , Art. 3(1), the European Union defines waste as "an object the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard." For a more structural description of

6862-416: The provisions of national law". The UNSD Glossary of Environment Statistics describes waste as "materials that are not prime products (that is, products produced for the market) for which the generator has no further use in terms of his/her own purposes of production, transformation or consumption , and of which he/she wants to dispose. Wastes may be generated during the extraction of raw materials ,

6956-468: The recent years, there has been greater prevalence in brine management due to global push for zero liquid discharge (ZLD)/minimal liquid discharge (MLD). In ZLD/MLD techniques, a closed water cycle is used to minimize water discharges from a system for water reuse . This concept has been gaining traction in recent years, due to increased water discharges and recent advancement in membrane technology. Increasingly, there has been also greater efforts to increase

7050-882: The recovery of fresh water or salts. Brine treatment systems may also be optimized to reduce electricity consumption, chemical usage, or physical footprint. Brine treatment is commonly encountered when treating cooling tower blowdown, produced water from steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), produced water from natural gas extraction such as coal seam gas , frac flowback water, acid mine or acid rock drainage , reverse osmosis reject, chlor-alkali wastewater, pulp and paper mill effluent, and waste streams from food and beverage processing. Brine treatment technologies may include: membrane filtration processes, such as reverse osmosis ; ion-exchange processes such as electrodialysis or weak acid cation exchange ; or evaporation processes, such as brine concentrators and crystallizers employing mechanical vapour recompression and steam. Due to

7144-516: The recovery of materials from brines, especially from mining, geothermal wastewater or desalination brines. Various literature demosntrates the vaibility of extraction of valuable materials like sodium bicarbonates, sodium chlorides and precious metals (like rubidium, cesium and lithium). The concept of ZLD/MLD encompasses the downstream management of wastewater brines, to reduce discharges and also derive valuable products from it. Most solids can be removed using simple sedimentation techniques with

7238-434: The remainder ended up in landfills across the US. E-Waste contains many elements that can be recycled or re-used. Typically speaking, electronics are encased in a plastic or light metal enclosure. Items such as computer boards, wiring, capacitors , and small motor items are common types of E-waste. Of these items, the internal components include iron , gold , palladium , platinum , and copper , all of which are mined from

7332-425: The reverse osmosis membranes from hydrocarbons . Evaporation processes are the most widespread for brine treatment as they enable the highest degree of concentration, as high as solid salt. They also produce the highest purity effluent, even distillate-quality. Evaporation processes are also more tolerant of organics, hydrocarbons, or hardness salts. However, energy consumption is high and corrosion may be an issue as

7426-424: The safe disposal and reuse of sludge through its "Part 503" regulations. These regulations set limits on pathogens, heavy metals, and other contaminants to ensure biosolids used in agriculture or land application are safe. Similarly, the European Union has strict directives regarding sludge, emphasizing sustainable practices and environmental protection. The EPA, under CWA section 405(d), established regulations for

7520-817: The same year, OECD estimated 4 billion tonnes from its member countries. Despite these inconsistencies, waste reporting is still useful on a small and large scale to determine key causes and locations, and to find ways of preventing, minimizing, recovering, treating, and disposing of waste. Inappropriately managed waste can attract rodents and insects , which can harbor gastrointestinal parasites, yellow fever , worms, various diseases, and other conditions for humans, and exposure to hazardous wastes, particularly when they are burned, can cause various other diseases including cancers. Toxic waste materials can contaminate surface water, groundwater, soil, and air, which causes more problems for humans, other species, and ecosystems . A form of waste disposal involving combustion creates

7614-534: The solids recovered as slurry or sludge. Very fine solids and solids with densities close to the density of water pose special problems. In such case filtration or ultrafiltration may be required. Although flocculation may be used, using alum salts or the addition of polyelectrolytes . Wastewater from industrial food processing often requires on-site treatment before it can be discharged to prevent or reduce sewer surcharge fees. The type of industry and specific operational practices determine what types of wastewater

7708-404: The treated industrial wastewater (or effluent) may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer or to a surface water in the environment. Some industrial facilities generate wastewater that can be treated in sewage treatment plants . Most industrial processes, such as petroleum refineries , chemical and petrochemical plants have their own specialized facilities to treat their wastewaters so that

7802-456: The treatment process used. It generally includes: Proper sludge treatment and disposal are crucial to minimize environmental and public health impacts. Common methods include: Some treated sludge, known as biosolids , can be used as fertilizer in agriculture due to its nutrient content.  However, the presence of contaminants like heavy metals and pathogens requires careful regulation and management. In many countries, guidelines limit

7896-626: The type of glass manufactured, which includes fiberglass , plate glass , rolled glass , and glass containers, among others. The wastewater discharged by glass plants may include ammonia, BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD), fluoride , lead, oil, phenol, and/or phosphorus. The discharges may also be highly acidic (low pH) or alkaline (high pH). The production of iron from its ores involves powerful reduction reactions in blast furnaces. Cooling waters are inevitably contaminated with products especially ammonia and cyanide . Production of coke from coal in coking plants also requires water cooling and

7990-444: The types of products manufactured, such as bulk organic chemicals, resins, pesticides, plastics, or synthetic fibers. Some of the organic compounds that may be discharged are benzene , chloroform , naphthalene , phenols , toluene and vinyl chloride . Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which is a gross measurement of a range of organic pollutants, may be used to gauge the effectiveness of a biological wastewater treatment system, and

8084-515: The use and disposal of sewage sludge ( biosolids ) found in 40 CFR Part 503 . These standards regulate sludge applied to land, incinerated, or placed in surface disposal sites, addressing pollutant limits, pathogen and vector reduction, management practices, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. They apply to anyone handling, applying, or disposing of sewage sludge, as well as operators of disposal sites. Initially finalized in 1993, 40 CFR Part 503 has been amended several times. The original regulation

8178-459: The use of water in by-products separation. Contamination of waste streams includes gasification products such as benzene , naphthalene , anthracene , cyanide, ammonia, phenols , cresols together with a range of more complex organic compounds known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The conversion of iron or steel into sheet, wire or rods requires hot and cold mechanical transformation stages frequently employing water as

8272-442: The waste stream. Although similarities to seawater or brackish water desalination exist, industrial brine treatment may contain unique combinations of dissolved ions, such as hardness ions or other metals, necessitating specific processes and equipment. Brine treatment systems are typically optimized to either reduce the volume of the final discharge for more economic disposal (as disposal costs are often based on volume) or maximize

8366-908: The wastewater stream may include vehicle wash bays, workshops, fuel storage depots, transport hubs and power generation. Often the wastewater is discharged into local sewer or trade waste systems and must meet local environmental specifications. Typical contaminants can include solvents, detergents, grit, lubricants and hydrocarbons. Many industries have a need to treat water to obtain very high quality water for their processes. This might include pure chemical synthesis or boiler feed water. Also, some water treatment processes produce organic and mineral sludges from filtration and sedimentation which require treatment. Ion exchange using natural or synthetic resins removes calcium , magnesium and carbonate ions from water, typically replacing them with sodium , chloride , hydroxyl and/or other ions. Regeneration of ion-exchange columns with strong acids and alkalis produces

8460-756: The wastewater. Dairy processing plants generate conventional pollutants (BOD, SS). Animal slaughter and processing produces organic waste from body fluids, such as blood , and gut contents. Pollutants generated include BOD, SS, coliform bacteria , oil and grease, organic nitrogen and ammonia . Processing food for sale produces wastes generated from cooking which are often rich in plant organic material and may also contain salt , flavourings , colouring material and acids or alkali . Large quantities of fats, oil and grease ("FOG") may also be present, which in sufficient concentrations can clog sewer lines. Some municipalities require restaurants and food processing businesses to use grease interceptors and regulate

8554-643: The world's biggest e-waste dump called Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana , which used to be a wetland . The young men and children that work in Agbogbloshie smash devices to get to the metals, obtain burns, eye damage, lung and back problems, chronic nausea, debilitating headaches, and respiratory problems and most workers die from cancer in their 20s (McElvaney). In McElvaney's photos, kids in fields burning refrigerators and computers with blackened hands and trashed clothes and animals, such as cows with open wounds, in

8648-569: The world. Some agencies involved in this include U.S. EPA, Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA), International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN), and environmental offices from Asia , Latin America , the Caribbean , Africa , and North America . Mixed waste is a term that has different definitions based on its context. Most commonly, mixed waste refers to hazardous waste which contains radioactive material. In this context,

8742-594: Was appearing on east coast beaches in the 1980s. This forced congress to pass the Medical Waste Tracking Act . This act was only in effect for approximately 3 years after the EPA concluded the "disease-causing medical waste was greatest at the point of generation and naturally tapers off after that point." Prior to the Hospital Medical Infectious Waste Incinerator (HMIWI) standard, approximately 90% of

8836-448: Was generated which equated to about 4.9 pounds per day per person. Out of the 292.4 tons, approximately 69 million tons were recycled, and 25 million tons were composted. Household waste more commonly known as trash or garbage are items that are typically thrown away daily from ordinary households. Items often included in this category include product packaging, yard waste , clothing, food scraps, appliance, paints, and batteries. Most of

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