WASTE WATER TREATMENT IN LEATHER INDUSTRY

PRESENTATION BY: Yashaswi. B. R

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INTRODUCTION
Tannery wastes rank among the heaviest and most polluting of all industrial wastes. Characteristics-- disagreeable appearance, a bad smell, and a high degree of intractability. Animal skins consist of three layers: The epidermis (cuticle or outer layer) Layer of fatty tissue & The inner layer, corium. Tanning process objective: strip off the two outer layers -- subject the corium to the action of agents -- from a semi-solid protein to the tough insoluble mass -LEATHER.

action of tanning agents Corium undergoes a transformation (corium becomes insoluble in water, tough, flexible and highly durable) Main tanning process: vegetable tanning process : sole, harness etc chrome tanning process: glove & garment leather. miscellaneous tanning process ( Alum, oil etc): furs, chamois etc.

TANNING-PROCESS

WASTEWATER CONTAINS:

Salts (Cl), fat, protein, preservatives (soaking); Lime and ammonium salts, ammonia, protein (hair), and sulphides (fleshing, trimming, bating); Chromium(salts) and polyphenolic compounds (tanning); Dye and solvent chemicals (wet-finishing).

CHARACTERSTICS OF TANNERY WASTES

Heavy-- Large amount of suspended matter (hairs, particles of flesh, suspended particles of lime and calcium carbonate). Ability to form a lime mortar inside receiving sewer ( lime calcium carbonate). CO2 decomposition of organic matter Vegetable tanneries high colour -- spent tan liquors. Chrome tanneries color absent Chrome tannery -- intermittent discharges --highly insoluble, inorganic solids, low in pH value, and contain considerable chromium (moderately toxic).

WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Physical treatment (mechanical treatment) screening, filtering, grease removal, settling, sedimentation etc. Physico-chemical treatment coagulation chemicals, followed by sedimentation. with

Biological treatment sand filters and trickling filters. Sludge handling.

STORAGE AND SEDIMENTATION

Beam house
Sludge lagoon
Man hoi

Settling basin

scrub house
Pump

Sump

Man hoi

Settling basin

BY PASS

waste

Tan liquor storage lagoon

Dry weather operation

Tan yard

RIVER

FIG: FLOW DIAGRAM OF TANNERY WASTE TREATMENT PLANT

 Tannery waste treatment processes -- storage, sedimentation, and regulated discharge. The plant, designed for 200,000 gallons of waste per day-- 2 earthen settling basins, each of 500,000 gallons capacity-operated -- fill and draw units --24hour period. The weaker waste -- discharged directly & stronger wastes (intermittent wastes) are settled and subjected to regulated discharge. To eliminate a larger portion of BOD & to reduce the amount of colour -- effluent vegetable tan liquors--separate lagoons &discharged --periods of high water in the stream. A separate lagoon for the spent tan liquors --storage for 200 days of normal tannery output. During low stream flow, the scrub house or bleaching wastes will also be put in the spent tan lagoon to ensure a minimum of colour in the waste discharge.

CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION
Degree of treatment -- plain sedimentation is insufficient -coagulation by the addition of chemicals. Coagulants --sulphuric acid, carbon dioxide from flue gas, alum, and iron salts. Mechanical flocculation -- part of the treatment. Alum probably --longest history of use-- tried by several tanneries -auxiliary to sedimentation during period of low stream flow. Flue gas -- elimination of caustic lime in tannery waste Iron salts -- either alone or conjugation with lime.

TRICKLING FILTER PROCESS

A schematic cross-section of the contact face of the bed media in a trickling filter
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A typical complete trickling filter system

SLUDGE DISPOSAL
All methods -- tannery waste treatment -- sedimentation, with or without the addition of chemicals -- formidable quantities of sludge (5-10%). Disposal --sludge in an acceptable --difficult problem. Common practice -- discharge sludge -- low lying areas of waste land / to specially prepared sludge lagoons (feasible only if sufficient land area can be provided). A thick sludge -- a smaller area-- thick tannery sludge --difficult to pump. More satisfactory method of sludge disposal -- provision of drying beds of sand and cinders, with or without under drains. Vacuum filters -- dewatering tannery sludges.

PREVENTION OF WASTE PRODUCTION

Water conservation: A reduction of water Re-use of wastewater Curing hides and skins: Reduction of the use of salt for preservation Chilling without salt Radiation by electron beam or gamma rays. Biodegradable preservatives (insecticides) should be used instead of derivatives of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons Beamhouse processes: Hair saving methods -- degraded keratin

 Tanning: Aluminium, zirconium, titanium and iron are might be used as substitutes for chromium salts Finishing: Reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) -aqueous finishes for base and middle finishing coatings.

REFERENCES
Rudolfs W., (2006). Industrial Wastes, Their Disposal and Treatment. Agrobios (India). pp:148-171. Mahopathra P.K., (2006). Environmental Biotechnology., I.K.International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. pp:101-147. http://www.fao.org/wairdocs