Sources of Industrial Waste Water

Agricultural Waste

The agricultural sector produces an enormous volume of wastewater every year. The two main
sources of wastewater in agriculture are: a) non-point source pollution and b) point source
pollution. Non point source pollution is generally a result of surface run offs from fields,
especially during periods of excessive rainfall, whereas point source pollution in agriculture is a
localized source constituting animal waste, treatment, piggery waste, firewater, silage liquor,
milking parlor wastes, slaughtering wastes and vegetable washing wastes. Run offs in non point
source may also include nutrients, pesticides and soil sediments that cause high levels of
turbidity in water bodies, encouraging the growth of aquatic plants, clog fish gills and smother
animal larvae.

Iron & Steel Industry

The iron and steel industry consumes water mainly for cooling,
washing, gas transfer, matter removal, etc. Right from the
mining process to the fabrication of steel, the entire iron and
steel manufacturing process incorporates powerful reduction
reactions in blast furnaces. The water used for cooling is
therefore begrimed by chemicals such as ammonia and
cyanide. Contamination of waste streams includes gasification
products such as benzene, naphthalene, cyanide, ammonia, phenols and cresols, along with a
wide array of more composite organic compounds collectively known as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH). Even during other stages, e.g., in the final treatment stage where pickling
is done in strong mineral acids for rust removal and preparing the surface for surface treatments
such as galvanization or painting, large amount of water is generated which is contaminated by
acids like hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid.

Mines & Quarries

Contaminants of mining and quarrying consist mainly of slurries of rock particles that arise
mainly from rainfall washing exposed surfaces and haul roads. At times, they are also formed
during rock washing and grading processes. These inert contaminants are abundantly generated
during the extraction and on-site processing of materials such as coal, china clay, slate,
metalliferous and vein materials. Although the waste generated is normally chemically inert and
stable enough to be easily deposited on the land without pre-treatment, it has to be noted that
some waste may contain high levels of metals that can have a harmful effect on wildlife and
plants. Oils and hydraulic oils are also common contaminants of mine and quarry waste water.
Complex Organic Chemicals Industry

Chemical pollutants include a wide variety of contaminants ranging from simple inorganic ions
to complex organic molecules. Organic compounds that are dangerous to the environment are all
man-made and have only existed during the last century. Apart from the organic chemical
manufacturing plants, a lot of other industries also work with complex organic compounds
regularly. These include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, paints and dyes, petro-chemicals,
detergents, plastics, paper pollution, etc. These industries generally deteriorate the quality of
water by contaminating it with feed-stock materials, by-products, product material in soluble or
particulate form, washing and cleaning agents, solvents and added value products.

Nuclear Industry

One of the most water-intensive sectors, the nuclear industry requires large amounts of water
every day, mainly for cooling purposes. The hot-water outflows, contaminated with radioactive
chemicals after being used in various processes is pumped back to rivers, lakes and oceans,
which poses serious environmental threats. The production of these radio active contaminants in
nuclear-power plants mainly takes place during the mining and refining stage of uranium and
thorium and the fission reaction involved in the production process. In nuclear fuel cycle, the
front end usually produces alpha-emitting waste from the extraction of uranium. It often contains
radium and its decay products. The back end, mostly spent fuel rods, contains fission products
that emit beta and gamma radiation, and actinides that emit alpha particles, such as uranium-234,
neptunium-237, plutonium-238 and americium-241, and even sometimes some neutron emitters
such as californium (Cf).

Food Industry

Wastewater generated in the food industry though biodegradable and nontoxic, contains high
concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS). Typically,
vegetable washing and animal slaughter and processing generates waste water that is packed
with high loads of particulate matter (PM) and dissolved organics. Animal slaughter and
processing also lead to the production of strong organic waste, which are derived from body
fluids, including gut contents and blood. This wastewater also contains pollutants like antibiotics,
growth hormones, and at times pesticides, which come from the animal body. Even, food
processing and cooking generates large to trace amounts of salt, flavorings, coloring material,
acids, alkali, oil or fats.