Waste Water Treatment Physiology for Pharmaceutical Industry

Hello Everyone, 

Can anybody advise the Waste Water Treatment Physiology for Pharmaceutical Industry.

Influent quality will be as below.

• pH - 5.8
• Ammoniacal Nitrogen as N - 28.5 ppm
• Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) - 1297 ppm
• Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) - 80 ppm
• Total Suspended Solid (TSS) - 46 ppm
• Oil & Grease - 2 ppm

Full analysis report is attached.

treated water can be discharged to the island surface.

Your guidance much appreciated!

Media

Taxonomy

• Pharmaceuticals Waste
• Industrial Wastewater Treatment
• Industrial Water Treatment
• Industrial
• Industrial Water Treatment
• Industrial Water Managment
• Pharmaceutical Chemicals

6 Answers

1. Have you tried the membrane technology?

2. This is very difficult to advise without knowing the products being manufactured.  The BOD is very low, which means it is either difficult to remove, or it is inhibiting the organisms involved in the test.  

3. Remove TSS first,adjust pH,i will try biological together with AOP and one more biological process. If carbon is not enough, we can add carbon in primary settling part.This is for small capacity. For big capacity,it will easier.I use magnetic flocculation plus magnetized AOP together with photocatalysis,and then,biological process.

4. I also agree that this is challenging, in that based on the values indicated for COD/BOD indicate that a biological process will not work. However, you will want to know the composition of the COD, is the composition composed of solvents, if so these would be particularly stripped prior to a treatment process. I also agree that AOP can be apart of a solution, I have posted several articles relating to the AOP process, please review these. Of course, TSS and O&G would typically need to be handled before any AOP process and post treatment after AOP process would be indicated as well. What is the flow rate? I am not as concerned with the Ammonia Nitrogen, this can be handled by a flocculant media. Yes, a bench test can determine the appropriate treatment steps/dosages for pre and post polishing treatment to meet the discharge goals. 

   3 Comments

   1. AOP is your best bet as described above.  Sean

   2. I ask this because In Electro coagulation also OH- ions are produced..

   3. After Using Solvent Stripper Can Electro coagulation help to reduce the remaining COD or the Solvent Stripper itself will remove all the COD?

5. Agree of difficult challenge. After removing TSS and O&G as much as possibly; I would try a pH shock lowering further down to 4, following with rise to 10, to neutralize to around 8. Apply  AOP and finally a bio-treatment if needed. I would do a bench test to determine dosages and exact sequence.

   2 Comments

   1. You may want to have your water treatment company try some emulsion breakers at the already depressed pH in the 5 range.  You may actually be able to increase the pH to find where the chemistry has the best break with little concern about H2S evolution.  Thanks, Sean

   2. I am not sure of your sulfur loading, but if you drop the pH to 4, then yes the oils will break out, but you run the chance of generating H2S in areas at the front end of your process while the pH is depressed.  BE PREPARED!  Not something to mess with.  I have lost friends/colleagues to being overwhelmed by H2S due to purposeful pH depression without any type of fume containment or scrubber.  Just my thoughts.  Thanks, Sean

6. You have several challenges. Do you have a low pH with the high COD to BOD ratio indicating the need for pretreatment by advanced oxidation or a majority will pass through the activated sludge without any change.  It is recalcitrant.  Advanced Oxidation along with a few tricks will put you back to right.  If you need a consultant, please let me know.  I have over 30 years in the industry with wastewater as my claim to fame.  Lots of info needed to ensure you meet discharge specs.  Sean Roop 239-989-3581