4. ORIGIN OF PHARMACEUTICAL
WASTE WATER (PWW)
Spent liquors from fermentation processes
(e.g. antibiotics, vitamins)
Chemical waste eg. xenobiotics
Condenser waste from evaporation
Floor and laboratory washing waste
5. QUANTITIES GENERATED
In Ireland about 43 tons of BOD produced per day
from Pharmaceutical Industry.
In USA during 1983, about 3 million tons of hazardous
waste produced in which 200,000 tons of sludge
produced by pharmaceutical industry only.
In India out of 960 million tons of solid waste, about 2
million tons comes fro herbal and agricultural
industry.
6. Types of Waste
Halogenated/non-halogenated solvents
Organic chemical residues from still bottom
Sludge & tars
Heavy metals
Test animal remains
Return pharmaceuticals
Low-level radioactive waste
Contaminated filters, etc.
7. PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN
PHARMACEUTICAL WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
Diverse characteristics of PWW. Different
medicines produce different type of waste
Variable amount of products
Mixing of pharmaceutical waste with other type
of waste
Also, it may contain high BOD and highly
variable pH
9. Physical treatment
1. Reverse osmosis (RO):
Based on pressure application
Removal of dissolved solids
Depends on concentration and pH
Reverse osmosis is a process that industry uses to clean
water, whether for industrial process applications or to
convert brackish water, to clean up wastewater or to
recover salts from industrial processes.
10. In the reverse osmosis process cellophane-like membranes
separate purified water from contaminated water.
RO is when a pressure is applied to the concentrated side
of the membrane forcing purified water into the dilute side,
the rejected impurities from the concentrated side being
washed away in the reject water.
RO can also act as an ultra-filter removing particles such
as some micro-organisms that may be too large to pass
through the pores of the membrane
Common membrane materials include polyamide thin film
composites (TFC), cellulose acetate (CA) and cellulose
triacetate (CTA) with the membrane material being spiral
wound around a tube, or hollow fibres bundled together
12. 2. Dialysis:
Based on the chemical activity of the solute
Recovery of specific material from aqueous
solution
depends on the molecular weigh and dialysis
coefficient
13. Electrodialysis:
Based on application of an electric field
Used to separate ionized species
Operates over a wide range of pH
Electrodialysis Membrane System works to achieve
separation on the ionic components of the water through
the use of semi permeable membranes.
The membranes are alternately stacked together and each
of it is either anionic or cationic charged so that the cation
exchange membrane will attract the anions leaving only
cations to pass through and vice versa for anion
membranes.
The principal behind the operation relies on the use of
electrical driving force whereby two different electrodes
will cause electric current to pass through the solution and
thus creating freshwater at the receiving end.
15. This technique can be applied to remove ions from water.
Particles that do not carry an electrical charge are not
removed.
Cation-selective membranes consist of sulphonated
polystyrene, while anion-selective membranes consist of
polystyrene with quaternary ammonia.
Sometimes pre-treatment is necessary before the electro
dialysis can take place. Suspended solids with a diameter
that exceeds 10 µm need to be removed, or else they will
plug the membrane pores.
There are also substances that are able to neutralize a
membrane, such as large organic anions, colloids, iron
oxides and manganese oxide. These disturb the selective
effect of the membrane.
17. Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption:
Used for removal of organic contaminants
(COD)
Survey showed that 1 out of 25
pharmaceutical plants use this method to treat
their wastewater,
COD test - nearly all organic compounds can
be fully oxidized to carbon dioxide with a
strong oxidizing agent under acidic conditions
19. Physical treatment…
Filtration:
Used to remove particulate contaminants
Colloidal suspensions of fine solids may be
removed by filtration through fine physical
barriers distinguished from coarser screens or
sieves by the ability to remove particles smaller
than the openings through which the water
passes.
20. Sedimentation:
Suspended particles are allowed to settle and
supernatant removed.
Solids and non-polar liquids may be removed from
wastewater by gravity when density differences are
sufficient to overcome dispersion by turbulence.
Gravity separation of solids is the primary treatment
of sewage, where the unit process is called "primary
settling tanks" or "primary sedimentation tanks".
It is also widely used for the treatment of other
wastewaters. Solids that are heavier than water will
accumulate at the bottom of quiescent settling
basins.
21. Flocculation:
Gathering of fine particles as flocculates which
allows them to settle.
is a process wherein colloids come out of
suspension in the form of floc or flake; either
spontaneously or due to the addition of a
clarifying agent.
The action differs from precipitation in that, prior
to flocculation, colloids are merely suspended in a
liquid and not actually dissolved in a solution
In the flocculated system, there is no formation of
a cake, since all the flocs are in the suspension.
22. Difference in relative volatility between the organic
chemicals and water are used to achieve a separation
Used for recovery of solvents (1 out of 4
pharmaceutical plants and Wastewater treatment 17
out of 91 pharmaceutical plants)
Steam stripping, also known as steam distillation, is an
economic method of cleaning up plant wastewater
streams.
It is a multistage continuous distillation process where
steam is used as a stripping gas to remove
hydrocarbons from dischargeable waste waters;
Stream Strippig :
24. Chemical Treatment
Ion-exchange:
Reversible interchange of ions between a solid and
a liquid phase
Used for the removal of trace metals, fluorides,
nitrates, and manganese
Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two
electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and
a complex.
In most cases the term is used to denote the
processes of purification, separation, and
decontamination of aqueous and other ion-
containing solutions with solid polymeric or
mineralic 'ion exchangers'.
25. Neutralization:
A process utilised to prevent excessively
acidic or alkaline wastes discharge
1 out of 2 pharmaceutical plants use
neutralization to treat their wastewater
27. Reduction:
Treatment with sulphur dioxide to reduce the oxidants to
less noxious materials
Precipitin:
Separation of solid from aqueous waste chemically
Calcination:
Heating of waste to a high temperature to oxidize
organic matter
28. Thermal Treatment
Incineration:
Controlled heating processes to covert a waste to less
bulky, less toxic or less noxious
Incineration usually involves the combustion of
unprepared (raw or residual)
To allow the combustion to take place a sufficient quantity
of oxygen is required to fully oxidize the fuel. Typically,
incineration plant combustion (flame) temperatures are in
excess of 850ºC and the waste is converted into carbon
dioxide and water.
Any non-combustible materials (e.g. metals, glass) remain
as a solid, known as Bottom Ash, that contains a small
amount of residual carbon.
29. Pyrolysis:
Thermal decomposition of waste at high temperature in the
absence of oxygen
Pyrolysis is the thermal degradation of a substance in the
absence of oxygen.
This process requires an external heat source to maintain
the temperature required. Typically, relatively low
temperatures of between 300ºC to 850ºC are used during
pyrolysis of materials such as MSW.
The products produced from pyrolysing materials are a
solid residue and a synthetic gas (syngas).
The solid residue (sometimes described as a char) is a
combination of non-combustible materials and carbon.
30. The syngas is a mixture of gases (combustible
constituents include carbon monoxide, hydrogen,
methane and a broad range of other VOCs).
A proportion of these can be condensed to produce oils,
waxes and tars.
The syngas typically has a net calorific value (NCV) of
between 10 and 20 MJ/Nm3. If required, the condensable
fraction can be collected by cooling the syngas,
potentially for use as a liquid fuel
31. Biological Treatment
Used to remove biodegradable organic
matter
Microorganisms converts organics into:
CO2 and H2O (aerobic)
CO2, CH4, and H2O (anaerobic)
1 out of 3 pharmaceutical plants use biological
processes
32. Biological Processes
Activated sludge:
process in which microorganisms are
continuously circulated and contacted with
organic waste in the presence of oxygen
Sludge withdrawn from the secondary clarifier in
the activated sludge process, consisting of
micro-organisms, non-living organic matter, and
inorganic materials.
33. an activated sludge process includes:
An aeration tank where air (or oxygen) is injected and
thoroughly mixed into the wastewater.
A settling tank (usually referred to as a clarifier or
"settler") to allow the waste sludge to settle. Part of the
waste sludge is recycled to the aeration tank and the
remaining waste sludge is removed for further treatment
and ultimate disposal
34. Activated Sludge Process
•A common method of disposing of pollutants in
wastewaters.
•In the process, large quantities of air are bubbled through
wastewaters that contain dissolved organic substances in
open aeration tanks. Bacteria and other types of
microorganisms present in the system need oxygen to live,
grown, and multiply in order to consume the dissolved
organic "food" or pollutants in the waste.
•After several hours in a large holding tank, the water is
separated from the sludge of bacteria and discharged from
the system.
•Most of the activated sludge is returned to the treatment
process, while the remainder is disposed of by one of several
acceptable methods.
36. Aerated lagoons:
a basin in which organic waste stabilised by a
dispersed biological growth in the presence of
oxygen
promotes the biological oxidation of waste
waters.
37. Types of aerated lagoons or basins
Suspension mixed lagoons, where there is less
energy provided by the aeration equipment to keep
the sludge in suspension.
Facultative lagoons, where there is insufficient
energy provided by the aeration equipment to keep
the sludge in suspension and solids settle to the
lagoon floor. The biodegradable solids in the settled
sludge then degrade anaerobically
38. large shallow basins store wastewater and purify under natural
conditions in the presence of algae
Waste or Wastewater Stabilization Ponds (WSPs) are large, man-made
water bodies in which blackwater, greywater or faecal sludge are
treated by natural occurring processes and the influence of solar light,
wind, microorganisms and algae.
The ponds can be used individually, or linked in a series for improved
treatment. There are three types of ponds, (1) anaerobic, (2)
facultative and (3) aerobic (maturation), each with different treatment
and design characteristics.
large surface areas and expert design are required.
The effluent still contains nutrients (e.g. N and P) and is therefore
appropriate for the reuse in agriculture , but not for direct recharge in
surface waters.
Waste stabilisation ponds (Polishing ponds):
39. Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which
microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the
absence of oxygen
Closed tanks operated in the absence of oxygen
In this method large fraction of organic matter is broken
down in to carbon dioxide and methane and is
accomplished in the absence of oxygen.
About half of the material is then converted to gases while
the remainder is dried and becomes residual soil-like
matter
40. Trickling filters
Artificial beds of rocks or other porous media through which
aqueous organic waste percolated and brought into contact with
biological growth and oxygen
A trickling filter consists of a bed of rocks, gravel, slag, peat moss,
or plastic media over which wastewater flows downward and
contacts a layer (or film) of microbial slime covering the bed
media.
Aerobic conditions are maintained by forced air flowing through
the bed or by natural convection of air.
The process involves adsorption of organic compounds in the
wastewater by the microbial slime layer, diffusion of air into the
slime layer to provide the oxygen required for the biochemical
oxidation of the organic compounds.
The end products include carbon dioxide gas, water and other
products of the oxidation
41. As the slime layer thickens, it becomes difficult for the air
to penetrate the layer and an inner anaerobic layer is
formed.
The treatment of sewage or other wastewater with trickling
filters is among the oldest and most well characterized
treatment technologies.
43. The fundamental components of a complete trickling filter
system are:
A bed of filter medium upon which a layer of microbial
slime is promoted and developed.
An enclosure or a container which houses the bed of filter
medium
A system for distributing the flow of wastewater over the
filter medium.
Any system removing and disposing any sludge from the
treated effluent
44. Ranges of values being used in pharmaceutical wastewater
treatment by trickling filters
Parameter Range Units
Flow Rate 0.03 - 2.18 MGD
Hydraulic Loading Rate 2.0 - 5.0 gpm/ft2
Depth of Medium 6 - 72 inches
45. ANAEROBIC TREATMENT
Anaerobic treatment of pharmaceutical waste is
common in different countries because of
lack of biodegradability
toxic and
malodorous nature of pharmaceutical waste
46. Commonly Used Anaerobic Systems
Up flow filters
Membrane reactors
Continuously-stirred reactors
Fluidized bed reactors
47. The anaerobic filter is ideally suited for the treatment of
soluble wastes.
No effluent or solids recycle is required with the anaerobic
filter because biological solids remain in the filter and are
not lost with the effluent.
The accumulation of high concentrations active solids in
the filter permits the treatment of dilute wastes.
Very low volumes of sludge produce.
Effluent is essentially free of SS.
48. Anaerobic filter giving 70 – 80%. COD removal efficiency
and 94% BOD5 removal efficiency
It gives 33% better performance as compared to aerobic
extended aeration system
Very low volumes of sludge produce
Remove colour with higher efficiency
50. Factors require consideration in the
management/disposal of solid pharmaceutical
waste
Potential hazardous nature of the waste
material
Relatively large volume of material that must
be safely and efficiently handled, transported
and/or disposed of
Effect of the disposal method on the public
and environment
Social factors
51. Technical feasibility of the construction and
operation of the installation
Environmental control
The social importance of other interests in the
exploitation and utilisation of the area
Economics of construction and operation of
the installation
52. Steps for the disposal of solid pharmaceutical
waste
Segregation
Volume reduction
Incineration
Ultimate disposal
53. Treatment or Disposal
There is not much treatment of solid
pharmaceutical waste. Most of the time solid
waste is disposed of.
Separation and reprocessing of some of the
solid waste also done for recycling purpose.
Incineration and landfilling of pharmaceutical
solid waste is most common
55. LANDFILLS
• Landfills are physical facilities used for the disposal of
residual solid wastes in the surface soils of the earth
• US. EPA defines landfill as a system designed and
constructed to contain discarded waste so as to minimize
releases of contaminants to the environment
Solid pharmaceutical waste usually incinerated but in some
places (e.g. California) most of the solid PW is landfilled
56. Landfill disposal:
Common land filling methods are
Mixing with soil
Shallow burial
Combination of these
57. Deep-well disposal
Material pumped into subsurface rock separated
from other groundwater supplies by impermeable
rock or clay. (In USA more than 100 wells are used
for disposal)
Land burial disposal
Disposal accomplished by either near-surface or
deep burial
In near-surface burial material could be disposed
directly into the ground or is disposed in stainless
steel tanks or concrete lined pits beneath the ground.
At the present time, only near surface burial is used
for disposal of pharmaceutical wastes
58. Ocean dumping and detonation are some of
expensive waste disposal methods
• Detonation is a processes of exploding a
quantity of waste with sudden violence
Thermal Shock
Mechanical Shock
Electrostatic charge
This method mainly used for flammable and
volatile waste materials
59. Sanitary Landfill
Layer of compacted trash covered with a layer of earth once a
day and a thicker layer when the site is full
Require impermeable barriers to stop escape of leachates: can
cause problem by overflow
Gases produced by decomposing garbage needs venting
Avoid:
Swampy area/ Flood plains /coastal areas
Fractures or porous rocks
High water table
Prefer:
Clay layers
Heads of gullies
63. Incineration
combustion of solid waste
Solves space problem but:
produces toxic gases like Cl, HCl, HCN, SO2
High temp furnaces break down hazardous
compounds but are expensive
Heat generated can be can be recovered
64. MAJOR TYPES OF INCINERATORS
Grate Type of Incinerator
It is a low temperature incinerator. It is useful for volume
reduction of bulky waste.
Hearth-Type Incinerator
Most solid hazardous waste is burned in hearth-type
systems of which there are several basic types:
The rotary kiln
A "controlled air" or "two chamber fixed hearth" system
− The multiple hearth incinerator
− The monohearth (seldom used)
65. Fludized-Bed Incinerator
Liquids, sludges as well as uniformly sized solids can be
incinerated in it
In USA hearth-type systems are common
Following types of incinerator are in operation
Rotary Kiln incinerators accounts for 75%
Two-chamber, fixed-hearth 15%
Multiple-hearth and fluidised bed 10%
66. Advantages: on average, reduces the volume
of solid waste by 80%
Modern high-temperature (up to 3000O
F)
incineration can decompose many harmful
compounds into less hazardous substances
The combustion heat energy can be
employed in a “waste-to-energy” facility to
generate steam for space heating or electrical
energy production (see slide
67. Disadvantages: incineration solid residue may
contain highly concentrated toxins
Requires separation of noncombustible waste,
increasing costs
Typically releases a variety of pollutants to the air
(e.g., chlorine gas, acidic vapors, toxic metals,
carbon dioxide)
Even the high-temperature incinerators can’t destroy
toxic elements (e.g., mercury, arsenic)
The high-temperature incinerators are very expensive
to operate (~ $2000 per ton of waste), although the
less effective low-temperature incinerators are more
cost competitive (~ $75 per ton of waste)
68. Ocean Dumping
methods – direct dumping or shipboard incineration
followed by dumping of ash
Contributes to ocean pollution
Can wash back on beaches, and can cause death of
marine mammals
Preferred method: incineration in open sea
Ocean Dumping Ban Act, 1988: bans dumping of
sewage sludge and industrial waste
Dredge spoils still dumped in oceans, can cause
habitat destruction and export of fluvial pollutants
69. Source Reduction
Most fundamental method of reducing waste is to
prevent it from being produced
Reduce and reuse
Saves natural resources.
Reduces waste toxicity
Reduces costs
Packaging reduction – involves the elimination of
unnecessary packaging, the design of packaging that
requires less material and the design of
manufacturing processes that necessitate less
packaging for the products
70. Composting
Harnessing natural decomposition to transform
organic material into compost
Composting is the biological decomposition of
organic waste such as food or plant material by
bacteria, fungi, worms and other organisms under
controlled aerobic (occurring in the presence of
oxygen) conditions.
The end result of composting is an accumulation of
partially decayed organic matter called humus.
Composting with worms, also known as vermiculture,
results in nutrient-loaded worm castings
71. RECYCLING SOLID WASTE
Recycling is a process to convert waste materials into new
products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials,
reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce
energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and
water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for
"conventional" waste disposal and lower greenhouse gas
emissions as compared to plastic production.
Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction
and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle" waste hierarchy.
73. 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;
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to
global climate change;
Helps sustain the environment for future generations;
74. Different Steps in Recycling
Collection and Processing
Manufacturing
Purchasing new drugs from recycled materials