ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER


Using brewery as a case study


 


Introduction


Over the last decades, the value of the environment has been taken for granted by many individuals.  Most technologically advance equipment and other human activities had extremely damaged the environment and its elements such as water, air, land and others. With this complexity, international organisation has been able to establish a system which ensures that all countries are adhering to the need for environmental sustainability. It is believed that in the world wherein the only constant is changes it is important that there must be a regulation to be followed so as to continuously adapt to the changing environment and to sustain every environmental needs.   


Environmental issues are a critical factor for today’s industry competitiveness. Indeed, the society and the individual clients could set common model industries’ commitment and engagement about the context of protecting the environment. Redesign the process; recover by-products or reuse effluents are considered as some of the plausible actions towards an eco-efficient approach. Nonetheless, a point remains crucial in such mission: the ability to protect and guard natural ecosystems from polluted wastewaters. For such purpose, a waste water treatment plant that maximises removal efficiency and minimises investment and operation costs is a key factor. Brewery and winery are traditional industries with an important economic value in the agro-food sectors.  Primarily, the goal of this paper is to analyse the effect on the environment of industrial waste water for Brewery Company.


 


Environmental Effects


            Consequently, among firms, that produce great quantities of contaminated water is even the brewery one. Except the quantities of water that beer holds in or its by-products, the rest of it is noted as contaminated water. It is calculated that except 1.8-2.5 hl water/hl beer, the remaining contents of the water used is waste water. In 6 hl of water used per 1 hl beer, the residual part of it about 3.5-4.2 hl is waste water. Lower the water usage, lower the contaminated water. Brewery’s waste water contains various hazardous chemicals that can affect the environment and the health of the people in contact.


Most of the areas near brewery industry are suffering from issues and problems, in terms of environmental aspects. The area suffers from several environmental issues such as sewage and disposal of pollutants from the surrounding factories into the surface water pathways in the area. Water samples were collected seasonally from various waterways found in the area, domestic and or industrial liquid wastes from 12 discharge tubes of various brewery factories (as a point source of pollution). Chemical characteristics of various water samples and its heavy metals content through the devices used.   Results indicate that industrial waste water samples contain several toxic levels of tested heavy metals which have a serious impact on surface waterways in the  water system.


Such water contaminated can’t be discharged outside but it needs a systematic treatment via consideration of great capacities that generally have considerable costs. To have lower costs or cheaper costs,  the reduction of contaminants is  required. The brewery’s waste waters as a result of the materials that contain are in need of oxygen that’s why they deserve a high level treatment done either in the brewery itself or communal establishments. The fact that public establishments have higher costs means that it will be better for the companies to do it by the industry itself.


 


Conclusion


            Because of the impact of the waste water of brewery company in  environmental aspects as well as health of the individuals, the company should adhere to corporate social responsibility.  In addition, the company should also consider the rules and regulations in waste water management and environmental sustainability. Eenvironmental sustainability refers to the redesigning of established system to contribute to sustainable economic development and the protection and renewal of the biosphere. Environmental sustainability encompasses the main tenets of sustainability including what is commonly termed the triple bottom line that is, economic, social and environmental outcomes (Diesendorf, 1997).  In this regard, if people would want a desirable future, the main goal is to promote sustainability actions globally and at all levels of society while eliminating actions which lead to the deterioration of out physical and social environment.


 


Reference


Diesendorf, M. (1997). Ecologically sustainable development principles. In:


            Diesendorf M, Hamilton C (eds), Human ecology, human economy: Ideas


            for an ecologically sustainable future. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 64-97.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 



Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Top