“7£
wastes differ markedly from domestic scwage
in compostion, concentration,
Î
physical characteristics, and toxicity, the same types of treatment are often
used for both. However, industrial wastes frequently contain organic com—
Ë
'
pounds that are resistant to the treatment applied to domestic sewage, and
gross pollution measurements are even less adequate With these compounds
than they are with sewage.” [17]
Chemical Treatment of Organic Wastes
It appears that environmental problems due to organic chemical con—
tamination will increase in the immediate future. One major factor in—
uencing this trend is the versatility of modern industrial chemistry based on
pètroleum as a raw material. Formerly, the base materials in the production
of aliphatic compounds were natural products such as carbohydrates and
fatty cils and coal was the main basis of the aromatic compounds. None of
these base materials permitted the variety and volume of products that have
become possible with the development of the petrochemical industry.
Petroleum.
Almost no petroleurn was used as chemical base stock in
1930, according to Dr. Neil A. Hi, member of the British Royal Commission
'
on Environmental
[18]. By 1950, petroleum was the basis of 40 per—
cent, by weight, of all organic chemical production. This gure had risen to
88 percent by 1970 and, by 1985, it is estimated that as much as 98 percent of
à
chemical production will be based on petroleum. The range of
—;
.
;p‘etroleum distillates available coupled with skill synthesizing techniques
Ïî
haV6'Spurred an immense increase in the volume and types of organic chem—
‘
icals produced over the past 20 years. We have already seen that potentially
‘
chemicals escape in waste water discharged during manufacturing
' _
,
…;
chemical plants and, reneries. In addition, some of the nal
products such as solvents and pesticides escape or are released to
environement and, as discussed previously, may ultimately end up
in the
"
‘
ocean. On a global basis, each year up
to 20 million tons of such Chemicals
may ehter«_the environment out of approximatley 60 million tons of organic
Chemicals produced. About half “of the 20 million tons released into the envirement are Solvents,such as methanbl, ethanol, higher alcohols and their de—
solvents, chlorouorocarbons, and aroma—
tic “SQÏVBÏÆÎS- Other Chemicals include detergents, organic pesticides, gaseous
base Chemicals 311011 35 eOlehg and acetylene, and many other chemicals not
yet identied. .If‘.tpresent :_trends continue, the amount of these discharged
bidogical effects—will rise relentlessly in the
}}Ï î j Ëj ä
commg years 35 Ïh‘êî‘ÿlQYQWÇd production of 63 million tons of "organic -
chemicals
tons in 1985.
.
Tanning. In certæn°therma]0ïPOlluüng industries in the United
[
States, the picture is less bleakforavanety of different reasons. 1n some
°°°” °°° °°°“…m
…dmandshpmptd changes pm…—
«
190
Ihirsty Technology
.
…
uw
t
H
ll
wastes differ markedly from domestic scwage
in compostion, concentration,
Î
physical characteristics, and toxicity, the same types of treatment are often
used for both. However, industrial wastes frequently contain organic com—
Ë
'
pounds that are resistant to the treatment applied to domestic sewage, and
gross pollution measurements are even less adequate With these compounds
than they are with sewage.” [17]
Chemical Treatment of Organic Wastes
It appears that environmental problems due to organic chemical con—
tamination will increase in the immediate future. One major factor in—
uencing this trend is the versatility of modern industrial chemistry based on
pètroleum as a raw material. Formerly, the base materials in the production
of aliphatic compounds were natural products such as carbohydrates and
fatty cils and coal was the main basis of the aromatic compounds. None of
these base materials permitted the variety and volume of products that have
become possible with the development of the petrochemical industry.
Petroleum.
Almost no petroleurn was used as chemical base stock in
1930, according to Dr. Neil A. Hi, member of the British Royal Commission
'
on Environmental
[18]. By 1950, petroleum was the basis of 40 per—
cent, by weight, of all organic chemical production. This gure had risen to
88 percent by 1970 and, by 1985, it is estimated that as much as 98 percent of
à
chemical production will be based on petroleum. The range of
—;
.
;p‘etroleum distillates available coupled with skill synthesizing techniques
Ïî
haV6'Spurred an immense increase in the volume and types of organic chem—
‘
icals produced over the past 20 years. We have already seen that potentially
‘
chemicals escape in waste water discharged during manufacturing
' _
,
…;
chemical plants and, reneries. In addition, some of the nal
products such as solvents and pesticides escape or are released to
environement and, as discussed previously, may ultimately end up
in the
"
‘
ocean. On a global basis, each year up
to 20 million tons of such Chemicals
may ehter«_the environment out of approximatley 60 million tons of organic
Chemicals produced. About half “of the 20 million tons released into the envirement are Solvents,such as methanbl, ethanol, higher alcohols and their de—
solvents, chlorouorocarbons, and aroma—
tic “SQÏVBÏÆÎS- Other Chemicals include detergents, organic pesticides, gaseous
base Chemicals 311011 35 eOlehg and acetylene, and many other chemicals not
yet identied. .If‘.tpresent :_trends continue, the amount of these discharged
bidogical effects—will rise relentlessly in the
}}Ï î j Ëj ä
commg years 35 Ïh‘êî‘ÿlQYQWÇd production of 63 million tons of "organic -
chemicals
tons in 1985.
.
Tanning. In certæn°therma]0ïPOlluüng industries in the United
[
States, the picture is less bleakforavanety of different reasons. 1n some
°°°” °°° °°°“…m
…dmandshpmptd changes pm…—
«
190
Ihirsty Technology
.
…
uw
t
H
ll