Potential Wastewater Minimization and Pollution Control in Typical Textile Industry: Case Study

Abdel Kerim, G; El Sherbini, M

doi:10.21608/jhiph.1999.324766

Potential Wastewater Minimization and Pollution Control in Typical Textile Industry: Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

G Abdel Kerim ¹
M El Sherbini ²

¹ Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt

² Chemist and Textile specialist, Misr Beida Dyers, Kafr El Dawar, Alexandria, Egypt

10.21608/jhiph.1999.324766

Abstract

A study is carried out to assiss STIA Company - Blanket factory to comply with the regulatory limits for the disposal of wastewater to public sewer as stated in law no. 93/1962. The objective of this study is assessing the existing situation and the need of in-process and in-plant modifications with end-of-pipe treatment. Blanket Factory has five major production plants. These plants are a wool scouring plant, a wool dyeing plant, a wool spinning plant, a wool weaving plant to produce the Blanket and a Blanket finishing plant. The company offers its processing facilities for customers to produce Blankets from wool and blends. The average production rate is 392000 units /year. The study concluded that there are two in-process modifications and one in-plant modification that could be applied at the Blanket Factory. The first in-process modification is the reduction of water usage by application of the counter-current technique. A significant reduction of water consumption could be achieved by applying this technique for rinsing processes in wool scouring and blanket finishing units. The second in-process modification is the reduction of material use as well as waste minimization by the reuse of dye bath. The reuse of wool dye bath in the following batches would result in a saving in the factory consumption of chemicals, and prevent the discharge of this bath water, containing dye and chemicals, to sewer system which would need additional treatment. The in-plant modification is the segregation of wool scouring and wool dyeing wastewater for treatment. This measure would reduce the end-of-pipe treatment capacity. The comparison between the existing water consumption rates and the expected ones after in-process modifications, a significant reduction of water consumption rates could be in the range of 32%. Furthermore, the application of in-plant modification would reduce the end-of-pipe treatment capacity by 25 %. Accordingly, the end-of-pipe treatment capacity would be reduced by 57 % through the application of both in-plant and in-process modifications. Cost / benefit analysis indicates that the total annual benefit of in-process modifications is 92000 LE. The capital cost of in-process modification is 366000 with Payback period of 6.6 years.

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