This article throws light upon the top six types of chemical industries. The types are: 1. Inorganic and Organic Chemical Industries 2. Fertilizer Industries 3. Refineries and Petroleum Industry 4. Pesticide Industries 5. Electroplating and Heat Treatment Industries 6. Hydro-Generated Oil and Soap Industries.
Chemical Industries: Type # 1. Inorganic and Organic Chemical Industries:
Manufacturing of acids, alkalies, allied chemicals and salts are clubbed in to this industry.
These industries are classified into three broad groups:
(a) Natural Drugs
(b) Synthetic Drugs and
The composition of waste-water from a synthetic drug factory producing anti-pyretics, sulphur drugs, antitubercular drugs and vitamins etc. is given below:
The median tolerance limit (TLM 48 hrs) at combined waste adjusted to pH 7.00 was 0.29% by volume.
Chemical Industries: Type # 2. Fertilizer Industries:
A variety of pollutants is discharged from fertilizer factory as waste materials. Fertilizer factories produce large quantity of waste ranging from 2 to 3 mgd for average size of factory in India.
The analysis of the combined waste from a typical Indian factory is given below:
Chemical Industries: Type # 3. Refineries and Petroleum Industry:
Industrial wastes from these industries are varied as the industry itself and each individual pollutant is an individual problem. However, there are certain common characteristics by which they can be separately classified. Nature of composition of waste-water varies with the type of industry, process used and economy in utilization of process water.
Chemical Industries: Type # 4. Pesticide Industries:
Pesticide is an all-inclusive term of pesticide, herbicides, weedcides etc. The pesticide includes a variety of organic and inorganic compound but the modem trend is towards the synthetic organic pesticide.
The modem pesticide consists primarily of the three following groups:
(1) Chlorohydrocarbons (e.g. DDT, Aldrin, Dieldrin and Endrin)
(2) Organo-phosphorus compounds (e.g., Paraoson, Parathion and Malathion).
(3) Carbamates (e.g. Sevin)
Pesticide includes both organic and inorganic material. Inorganic pesticides include compounds of leads, arsenic, mercury chlorine, HCN, lead- arsenate, sodium arsenite. etc. Examples of naturally occurring pesticides are rolenone, phrethrin, nicotine and petroleum derivatives, DDT, BHC, Chloride, Methoxychlor, Aldrin etc. are the example of synthetic organic pesticide.
Waste-water from pesticide manufacture generally contain total dissolved solids in excess of 10,000 mg/1, low suspended solids, high COD and some BOD, a small amount of toxic product and pH values, that may range from high acidic to highly basic.
1. Average of twelve observations on grab samples
2. After adjusting the pH to 7.0.
It can be seen from the above table that the wastes are highly acidic in character and that they contain biodegradable as well non – biodegradable organic matter in substantial quantity. One of the chief components of organic matter seems to be chloral hydrate.
Chemical Industries: Type # 5. Electroplating and Heat Treatment Industries:
Electroplating of metals produce waste containing metal ions such as chromium, nickel, cadmium, silver, gold etc. The volume of waste-water discharged from plating industry is small but toxic.
Chemical Industries: Type # 6. Hydro-Generated Oil and Soap Industries:
In the manufacture of soap a strong waste known as spent soap lye is discharged by the industry. The lye consists of sodium salt of fatty acids which do not crystallized out in the process. It is highly alkaline and exerts very high BOD & COD values.