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project ³Environmental Advisory Assistance for Industry´. This project is executed

with support from the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation (BMZ) under
the Thai-German Technical Co-operation Programme through the German
consulting firm ³IP-Institut fuer Projektplanung GmbH´ under contract from
³Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit ± GTZ´.
An important activity of the project is the introduction and preparation of industry
sector specific environmental management guidelines. The guide lines for the
leather tanning and finishing industry are part of this activity and describe
alternative methods for utilisation of residues and by -products, waste avoidance
and minimisation and give recommendations on how to achieve, in the most cost -
effective way, overall environmental management requirements. Sector specific
effluent standards from the legal part of the guidelines. These standards can be
achieved by implementing the described alternative environmental management
methods.
The content of the guidelines is the result of teamwork in the ³leather tannery´
working group. This working group consists of representatives from the
Department of Industrial Works, Pollution Control Department, Federation of Thai
Industries, Tannery Association of Thai land and the Chulalongkorn University¶s
Department of Environmental Engineering as well the Environmental Engineers
Association of Thailand. The Department of Environmental Engineering has been
contracted as consultant for the development of the guidelines . Besides
discussion and approval of the guidelines content, the working group also agreed
on the effluent standards described for this industrial sector.
The project implementing agency, Bureau of Industrial Environmental Technology
within the Department of Industrial Works (Ministry of Industry), hopes that the
introduced co-operative approach, which led to this guideline, will support both,
the industry as well as the environmental control agencies, in applying cost
effective environmental management.
For further information concerning additional details please feel free to contact
the Bureau of Industrial Environmental Technology at the Department of
Industrial Works ± Ministry of Industry ± Bangkok.
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The existing standard can be followed since it does not require additional
investment for compliance by the tanneries and this standard sufficiently protects
the environment.


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Regarding to Development Document for Effluent Limitations, Guidelines for the

Leather Tanning and Finishing of U.S. EPA by Anne M. Gorsuch and partners,
November, 1982, it has been stated that sulfide could be treated to zero.
However, in order to be in accordance with the local condition, it has been fixed
to 1 and 2 mg/l respectively. ± as compared to the standard in other countries it is
between 0.01-300 mg/l . (See Table 5 attached).

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Operational data of the joint wastewater treatment system of tannery complexes

at KM 30 and 34 during the period 1991 -1992, reveal that good quality efflue nt
can be produced. This is indicated by an average chromium content of 0.7 mg/l,
even at the absence of any chromium minimisation / treatment measures by the
tanneries. If proper chromium management is introduced and applied by the
tanneries, a final effluent quality with a chromium concentration lower than 0.5
mg/l can be achieved.
The emission standard for the wastewater discharged from the chromium
treatment (or recycle) system at the chrome tanning section has been fixed to 30
mg/l. This standard can be achieved as proven by pilot plant tests.
Chromium content standard in solid waste (sludge) from tanneries has been set
as max. 1,000 mg/kg of dry weight basis. This standard has been based on
experience and data from Germany, which are based on the app lication of best
practical technology (at proper chromium management a standard of 800 mg/kg
dry weight basis can be achieved). Information from UNIDO/UNEP suggests that
sludge which is used for agricultural purposes should contain a chromium value
not exceeding the range 1,000 -1,500 mg/kg (dry weight basis).

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This standard can be achieved readily, using a properly operated biological

treatment system. Data collected from the wastewater treatment system of the
tannery complex indicate that this standard has not been achieved in the past.
However, this was caused by improper operation as well as overloading of the
biological treatment system.

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At present water pollution p roduced by the tanneries is very serious. Therefore,

control measures must be more drastic and effluent qualities have to be in
accordance with the standards announced by the Department of Industrial Works
and the Pollution Control Department for enforceme nt.
BOD effluent standards applied for tanneries in other countries are in the range of
5- 200 mg/l. If tannery effluent is allowed for discharge into the city sewage
system and subsequent treatment in a joint domestic wastewater treatment plant,
the applied standard is in the range 150 -1,700 mg/l.


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120 mg/l is as effluent standard for joint wastewater treatment, which is

considered as factory
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The standard for this parameter (COD) has been developed based on COD /
BOD ratio. This ratio has been established for combined tannery wastewater to
be in the range of 6 -8.
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Leather tanning is a production process in which animal hides are

transformed by using of water, chemicals and mechanical process. Therefore,
wastewater from the process will contain a high concentration of pollutants.
Moreover, this process also generates solid waste. In this respect, the character
of wastewater, the pollution load as well as the amount of solid waste depend on
the type of production process including the source of the tanning. The main
steps which produce waste are concluded as follows:
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Preservation of raw hides is not part of the actual tanning process, but is
necessary to preserve raw hides from decomposition. Salt, about 20% of the
weight of raw hides, is normally used for pickling of raw hides. In the prese rvation
step, the hides will lose moisture, about equal to the amount of salt added. In
addition, bactericides and insecticides are also used for preservation of hides.
Therefore, prior to the actual tanning process, the salt must be removed which is
normally carried out by shaking of the raw hides. This salt is the first type of solid
waste generated by the leather tanning process. If the removed salt is disposed
off in an environmentally unsound way it will negatively affect plant growth,
aquatic life, and will increase salinity in the water bodies including ground water
which may become unfit for drinking purpose or steaming tanks.
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During this step hides are rehydrated. Surfactants and alkaline are added
for the removal of dirt. The effluent from this process contains BOD, COD, salt,
insecticides and bactericides, flesh scraps, hair, skin and dirt (see Fig. 3.1).
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Liming and unhairing is one of the steps which produce effluent with very
high pollution load. Wastewater discharged from this step contains residues of
hair, epidermis as well as other dirt accumulated in the hides. The combination of
lime (to swell the hides), salt and sodium sulfide (for unhairing) together with
bactericides and insecticides accumulated in the hides will be also discharged
along with the effluent. The effluent will have high pH, high concentration of BOD,
COD, salt, sulfide, insecticides and bactericides, ammonia, alkaline and
suspended solids. Solid waste generated are hair -sludge, lime and sludge.
Hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg gas) is emitted in case insufficient alkaline is
added resulting in a pH lower than 9.5.
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Minimisation of solid/liquid waste from the production process is to

reduce the amount of waste to be taken for disposal or treatment. Accordingly,
pollution load and disposal costs are reduced. Minimisation applies to all media
i.e. liquid waste (wastewat er), solid waste and gaseous emissions. Cleaner
production measures shall be applied as indicated in the diagram below.


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1.(, $. If it is known which chemical or raw material will create a lot of
problems, others should be used instead, for instance, aluminum may be used
instead of chromium for tanning.
2.($. If it is still needed, its use should be reduced, for instance, usi ng less
water to wash the tank. Or it could mean to reduce the waste, for instance,
recycling of water or chemicals repeatedly without discharging as waste water,
etc.
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4.($$ . Various processes can be used to extract some substances from the
waste then use them in the production process again. For instance, chromium
extracted from spent liquor from the chrome tanning process can be recycled to
the tanning drum.
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Wastewater volume and pollution load can be reduced by:

- minimising water consumption (which will also reduce the volume of
wastewater),
- using chemicals effectively, and
- reuse/recycle chemicals.
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- Use the counter-current system of washing, i.e., use clean water to wash rather
clean leather or piece of work (already washed briefly), then use more dirty water
(already used for leather washing) to wash very dirty leather or piece of work.
This will save a lot of water.
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- Do not use the system of soaking hides in a tank and allow continuous water
overflow. It should be improved by soaking hide firstly in water for a long time,
and using the washwater in that tank repeatedly until it becomes too
contaminated and has to be discharged.
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Sulfides can generate the emission of ³rotten egg´ gas which has not only
a very bad smell but is dangerous to the respiratory system . It is highly toxic and
poses a severe health risk at relatively low concentrations. Therefore,
minimisation of sulfide application should be considered.
One possibility for the reduction of sulfide application is the use of
³enzymes´ in the unhairing process. This method will reduce the amount of
sulfide required for unhairing and subsequently leads to lower concentration of
sulfide in the wastewater as well as a reduced risk of high H2S emissions
However, this enzyme unhairing process is slightly costlier than the conventional
sulfide unhairing process.
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 In the unhairing step hides a re soaked in a lime solution, containing

sodium sulfide. Hairs will be gradually decomposed in this chemical solution and
will form a hair sludge, which also contains non -decomposed hair and hide parts.
In normal practice, the spent unhairing solution will be discharged after use.
Reuse of the unhairing solution is possible if the hair sludge is removed by fine
screening and adding fresh lime and sodium -sulfide to ensure sufficient chemical
concentration. This reuse method will reduce sulfide load in the wa ste water but
requires that the hides are thoroughly cleaned in the washing step, thus needing
more water in the washing process.
The unhairing solution can be reused about 10 times and requires,
besides the screening equipment, sufficient storage capacit y as well as
equipment for the analysis of lime and sulfide in the spent solution.
The disadvantage of this method is that the wastewater from this
unhairing procedure will contain a higher concentrations of organic substances
(indicated by an increased C OD value) and in addition has a strong smell



 




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The spent unhairing solution will b e pumped from the rotating tank to a
fine screen (filter) for separation of the hair sludge. Then, this ³filtered´ lime
solution will be pumped back to the rotating tank (See Fig.4.1), where lime and
sodium sulfide is added to the required concentration. T his method can be also
applied with the paddle tank. This screen (filter) used can be of rotating type
made of stainless steel or plastic
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Unhairing time requirements are usually one day for cow hides and two
days for buffalo hides. Water consumption is about 3 cubic meters per ton of raw
hide. Usually, the quantity of hide unhaired each time is 6 tons, therefore, the
wastewater generated by each unhairing batch is about 18 cubic meters. The
construction costs for a spent solution storage tank including the screens is about
30,000-40,000 Baht . Cost recovery is normally within two years.