Definition of industrial waste & examples of industrial waste – Waste is a big enough problem that is felt by almost every country. The amount of waste is even increasing along with the times. Waste problems are obtained from various sectors, especially the industrial sector. The problem of industrial waste is one of the things that needs to be considered by industry players and the government because if it is not handled properly, industrial waste can cause various hazards and cause environmental damage that will disrupt the lives of living things. Why is that? Check out the following explanation regarding the meaning, types, impacts, examples, and ways of managing industrial waste.
Definition of Industrial Waste
Industrial waste is residue or waste that comes from the results of an industrial activity. In other words, industrial waste is waste generated from the production activities of an industry. This waste has various types, depending on the industrial products produced. An example is the textile industry which not only has waste in the form of scraps of material, but also other types of waste in the form of waste water from the fabric dyes used.
Types of Industrial Waste
In line with industrial activities that are increasingly developing, the resulting waste products are now also increasingly diverse. Types of industrial waste are divided into four groups, namely liquid waste, solid waste, gas waste, and hazardous and toxic waste (B3). Here is an explanation.
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Liquid waste
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Solid waste
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Gas Waste
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Hazardous and Toxic Waste (B3)
Impact of Industrial Waste
Industrial waste that is disposed of carelessly without prior treatment can cause various adverse effects on the environment and living things. The following are some of the adverse effects that can be caused by industrial waste.
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Dangers of Industrial Waste to Water
Illegal dumping of industrial waste in water areas is one of the main causes of water pollution. Disposal of waste in the sea or river will damage or even kill the life in it. This can occur due to high levels of BOD and COD in the waste which will rob the source of oxygen in the sea or river. Coarse material originating from waste will also spread and can cause harmful bacteria or viruses. Therefore, if the water is consumed by humans, it will cause health problems in humans.
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Hazards of Industrial Waste in the Air
Industrial waste can produce toxic gases with an unpleasant odor which will pollute the air and cause respiratory problems. The dangers of gases produced by industrial waste will be more easily felt by the elderly, children under the age of 14, and someone with a congenital disease. This gas can also cause various diseases if inhaled by humans in the long term, such as lung disease, asthma, cancer, and heart disease.
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Dangers of Industrial Waste on Soil
Industrial waste that is disposed of haphazardly on the ground or buried in the soil can damage soil fertility thereby interfering with crop productivity. The total pollutant population in plants can even be higher than that in soil pollution because molecules in industrial waste can accumulate in plants. Consuming contaminated plants can endanger human health.
Industrial Waste Management
To avoid the various adverse impacts caused by industrial waste, it is necessary to manage the waste that will be disposed of. Here are some ways of managing industrial waste.
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Liquid Waste Management
The management of liquid waste produced by production is carried out to remove pollutants or hazardous substances in the waste so that the liquid waste that is disposed of is clean and does not cause pollution or environmental damage. Liquid waste management is divided into three ways, namely physical management, chemical management, and biological management.
In the process of managing liquid waste physically, all dirty materials are separated from the liquid. The separation is carried out through the stages of precipitation, flotation, absorption, and filtering. While the process of managing liquid waste chemically can be carried out by applying several methods, namely the ozonation method, the oxidation method, the coagulation method, and the ion exchange method. The use of physical processing methods is adjusted to the type of pollutant that needs to be removed. Meanwhile, in biological treatment methods, pollutants or hazardous substances in waste are broken down by utilizing biota or living things in the form of microorganisms.
The process of managing biological wastewater can be carried out using three selected methods, namely the aerobic treatment method, the anaerobic treatment method, and the optional treatment method.
Liquid waste management can also be described in several ways, namely primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, disinfection treatment, and slude treatment or sludge treatment. Primary processing, namely processing carried out through screening, pre-processing, settling, and flotation processes. This treatment is appropriate for managing liquid waste in the form of oil and grease pollutants. Secondary processing, namely management carried out by utilizing microorganisms to decompose pollutants in liquid waste.
Management of domestic wastewater can be seen in the following book.
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Solid Waste Management
Industrial solid waste management can be done in various ways. There are different ways to manage organic and inorganic solid waste. Organic waste will generally be stockpiled to be broken down by microorganisms so that it can help maintain and increase soil fertility. However, the accumulation of organic waste cannot be done haphazardly. It is necessary to apply special methods to prevent soil contamination. One method that can be used is the sanitary landfill method . Application of the sanitary landfill methodThis is done by putting solid waste into a hole that has previously been covered with plastic and clay to prevent water from seeping into the ground. The methane gas produced from this process can be used as electrical energy.
Solid waste can also be managed by means of incineration, namely the process of burning organic waste. This processing process is also known as thermal processing. The incineration process will be very effective for reducing waste material by turning it into ash, particulates, residual combustion gases, and heat. However, high production costs mean that not all industries can have this waste treatment equipment.
Another way that can be done to manage solid waste is through recycling activities. Recycling activities can be carried out by sorting inorganic solid waste, such as cables and plastic, to be used as new goods that are useful and have a high selling value.
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Waste Gas Management
Gas waste becomes more dangerous than liquid and solid waste because it cannot be seen directly. Therefore, this waste management needs to be done properly so as not to harm many parties. One way that can be done in the waste gas management process is to reduce the amount of gas removed through the desulphurization method using a wet filter. Another way that can be done to manage waste gas is to apply the gas phase method to disguise the unpleasant odor from the released gas. The odor emitted from the waste gas can also be reduced by using the solid phase method. Through this method, unpleasant odors originating from gas will be absorbed using a solid adsorbent in the form of activated charcoal. In addition to carrying out the waste gas management method above,
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Management of Hazardous and Toxic Waste (B3)
As waste that clearly contains hazardous and toxic materials, storage and management of B3 waste is of course very concerned so that it does not have a negative impact on the environment and living things. B3 waste may not be mixed with other types of waste. In addition, to be able to store this waste, industry players also need to obtain permission from the local government.
Hazardous waste has three ways to process it, namely physical management, chemical management, and biological management. Physical management is not only carried out by separating the components contained in B3 waste, but also by cleaning the gas contained in the waste. Chemical management of B3 waste is carried out through several processes, namely solidification, reduction, absorption, electrolysis, ion exchange, sedimentation, and neutralization. Meanwhile, biological management of B3 waste is carried out through bioremediation and phytoremediation methods.
In the processing process, both methods utilize the help of living things, such as microorganisms and plants to decompose toxic substances contained in B3 waste. Biological management is the most economical treatment compared to physical and chemical management.