Page 530 - Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse

500 Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling, and Reuse

13.5 CASE STUDIES

In this section we present three case studies related to important sections of
the chemical industry responsible for major environmental pollution: the
chemical, fertilizer, textile, and bulk drug industries.

13.5.1 Case Study 1: Pharmaceutical API (Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredient) Industry
The pharmaceutical API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) industry, which
is also known as the bulk drug industry, manufactures drug intermediates
and end-products. In the majority of cases, API industries are involved in
contract manufacturing, meaning that their products are manufactured
according to client requirements.
API industries manufacture multiple products, and the characteristics of
these products differ in terms of quality and quantity. Thus, effluents from
the industries vary in composition, and hence, the parameters associated
with the effluents also vary.

13.5.1.1 Effluent from the API Industry:
The types of effluents produced by API industries are listed below, along with
the manufacturing activities or other sources that produce those effluents.
1. Lean stream (low COD–low TDS effluents)
a. Process
i. Reactor washings from the second wash onwards
b. Utility
i. DM plant regeneration waste
ii. RO (reverse osmosis) reject stream
iii. Cooling tower blow down
iv. Boiler blow down
c. Other
i. Floor washings
ii. Various drains.
2. ML stream (high COD–high TDS effluent)
a. Product separation
b. First washings of reactor
c. Traces of solvents from plant.

13.5.1.2 Lean Stream
The lean stream results from the majority of washings and utility waste, and
as a result, it has moderate concentrations of COD and TDS, which are trea-
ted using physico-chemical and biological methods.