II.

WASTE CHARACTERIZATION

The wastewater from a laundry industry contains surfactants that cause severe changes to the
biota because the activities of many aquatic organisms depend fundamentally on water. Laundry
water contains varying levels of suspended solids, salts, nutrients, organic matter, and pathogens that
arise from clothes and laundry detergents and fabric softener residues (Braga &Varesche, 2014). The
table below shows the typical composition of wastewater from a laundry industry and the accepted
values before the water is reused and discharged to the environment.

Parameter Wastewater Concentration Standard Method/ Apparatus

limit of the water used
before reusing and
discharge
Temperature (˚C) 62 30 DIN 38404-C4 Thermometer
pH-value 9.6 6.5-8.5 SIST ISO 10523 pH-meter
Suspended 254 15 ISO/DIN 11923 Weighing machine
substances (mg/L)
Sediment substances 2 0.5 DIN 38409-H9 Sedimentation
(mL/L)
Cl2 (mg/L) <0.1 0.2 ISO 7393/2 Colorimetric
Total nitrogen 6.81 10 SIST EN 25663 Titrimetric
(mg/L)
Nitrogen ammonia 54.8 5 SIST ISO 6778 Spectrophotometer
(mg/L)
Total Phosphate 279 3.1 SIST 6878-1 Spectrophotometer
(mg/L)
COD (mg O2/L) 4820 100 SIST ISO 6060 Titrimetric
BOD5 (mg O2/L) 253 20 SIST ISO 5815 Oximeter
Mineral oil (mg/L) 1100 10 DIN 38409-18 Weighing machine
Adsorbable Organic 0.12 0.5 SIST ISO 9562 Colormetric
Halide (AOX, mg/L)
Anionic surfactant 1023.7 1.0 SIST ISO 7875- Spectrophotometer
(mg/L) 1

Temperature

High temperature in the process is preferred because it sanitizes bacteria, good for stain
removal and helps in the solubility of powder detergents. The effluent from the laundry process has an
elevated temperature which affects the dissolved oxygen level in the water, chemical oxygen demand
(COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The temperature should be reduced since at lower
temperature biological activity is slower, hence, the accelerated growth of algae is reduced.

pH

An increase in pH is due to the detergent so that saponification in greasy substances takes

place. The pH of water determines the solubility and biological availability of chemical constituents
such as nutrients and heavy metals. It also determines whether aquatic life can use the water if
discharged. Metals also tend to be more toxic at lower pH because they are more soluble. The pH of
the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant must be reduced at the accepted range in the table
above because at high pH, encrustment of the water pipes and water using appliances with deposits
occur and also depresses the effectiveness of the disinfection of chlorine.
Suspended and sediment substances

Suspended solids come from inorganic materials (clay, silt) and organic materials (plant
fibers, biological solids). These provide adsorption sites for chemical and biological agents. Thus, a
high concentration of suspended solids indicates the high concentration of nutrients, bacteria and
metals in water. The suspended solids increase turbidity which causes undesirable odor and taste. It
also affects the flora and fauna in streams or lakes once discharged. These interferes the passage of
light which is needed in the photosynthetic reactions in bodies of water. These constituents will
primarily be removed by coagulation and flocculation process.

Chlorine

Chlorine is present in bleach that is used for the sanitation of clothes. However, an excess
absorbs into the bloodstream and causes burns throughout the fish. Fish engaged in chlorinated water
will start to undergo respiratory problems, suffocation, and eventually death.

Total nitrogen

Excess nitrogen can cause over-stimulation of growth of aquatic plants and algae which
blocks the light and causes the decomposition of dissolved oxygen. From the accepted values of
nitrogen to be discharged, the concentration of this substance is of range. Therefore, further removal
process is not needed.

Nitrogen ammonia

Nitrogen ammonia is used as an additive to eliminate stains, soften fabric, and whiten whites.
A high level present in water causes aquatic organisms to excrete toxicants leading to toxic build-up
in internal tissues and blood which leads to death of living organisms.

Total Phosphorus

Since detergents contain a high concentration of phosphorus, the effluent from a laundry
service also contains a high concentration of this element. Phosphorus is essential for plant life that is
why at high concentrations, eutrophication or increased algal growth can speed up. The amount of
phosphorus in wastewater is best measured using total phosphates (TP) since it already includes
ortho-phosphate and other phosphates coming from plant and animal fragments.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

COD measures the amount of oxygen required to oxidize soluble and particulate organic
matter in water. The effluent from a laundry process exceeds the standard provided so there is a great
amount of oxidizable organic material which can reduce dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The decrease
in DO can result to anaerobic conditions which is detrimental to aquatic life forms.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5)

BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen required by the bacteria to degrade organic
components present in water. Elevated BOD has a low DO concentration since oxygen is consumed
by bacteria. This results to an offensive odor, fish kills, and invasion and growth of certain types of
weeds that causes dramatic changes in a body of water.
Mineral Oil

The main source of mineral oil in the effluent of a laundry process is from the grease and oil
suspended in clothes. It is treated in most wastewater treatment plants because it affects the aesthetics
of water. Specifically, it causes surface film and shoreline deposits leading to environmental
degradation and also induces human health risks when discharged in surface or ground waters. This
also interferes with aerobic and anaerobic biological processes and led to decreased wastewater
treatment efficiency. The oil and grease is removed by floating drum oil skimmer.

Adsorbable Organic Halide (AOX)

AOX is the equivalent amount of chlorine, bromine and iodine contained in organic
compounds usually expressed as chloride. AOX accumulates in the food chain and it is very persistent
in nature. High concentrations of AOX indicate high active chlorine concentrations which increase the
risk of immune system, blood, heart, and respiratory system problems on animals.

Anionic Surfactant

Anionic surfactant is a type of surfactant which belongs to the negatively charged hydrophilic
group. These are the most used for laundering. This type of surfactant can activate or inhibit
microorganism activity. One example of anionic surfactant is the LAS which can positively stimulate
the removal of COD, phosphorus release and the respirometric activity on sludge at low
concentrations. However, it can inhibit respiration of activated sludge bacteria and decrease
phosphorus removal at high concentrations.