Abstract |
The available information allowed a breakdown into (1) pharmaceutical (formulation) plants, (2) pharmaceutical and chemical (sythesis) plants, and (3) all others (those using fermentation, biological preparation, extraction, and combinations). Analysis of the collected raw effluent data indicated that sanitary wastes were a major contributor in pharmaceutical plants. The wastes of the other categories were more dependent on specific operations and were, consequently, more variable. Fermentation wastes were, as expected, very high in biodegradable organics and usually were the predominant contributor in complex plants. Conventional biological treatment, both in-plant and at central facilities, is widely used and appears capable of achieving 90% removal of degradable organics. Advanced technology appears to be limited in application to specific wastes not amenable to biological treatment. |