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Novel Technologies for the Elimination of Pollutants 217

scale-up experience), local economic background (energy and chemical
costs), infrastructure (site condition, availability of energy, chemicals and
personnel, existing central ETP/solid waste disposal/off-gas treatment),
local engineering and operation staff, investment and operating budget,
and time schedule.
Figure 5.3 further shows steps that should be followed to identify,
develop engineering, and implement processes to eliminate pollutants and
hazardous substances from wastewater in the chemical and pharmaceutical
industries. In practice, often even during the very first step, it turns out that
not only does the one wastewater stream in question need to be addressed
but broader issues of wastewater management and control as well.

Figure 5.3 Steps to identify and develop processes to eliminate pollutants and
hazardous wastes from wastewater in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

The next section describes the two in-house technologies developed by
Bayer to benefit the industry for eliminating pollutants and hazardous wastes
from wastewater.

5.2 THE BAYER LOPROX PROCESS (Holzer et al., 1992)
In the early 1970s, research teams at Bayer began taking a closer look at the
wet oxidation process. It was found that, for a number of compounds with
poorer biodegradability, less extreme reaction conditions can be sufficient at
least to initiate the oxidation process, making them considerably easier to
degrade during subsequent biological treatment.