Performance, Evaluation and Suggestion Study of ETP of Galvansing Unit- A Case Study on KEC Industry

Abstract

Introduction

• KEC International Limited is a leading engineering, procurement, and construction company with expertise in transmission, railway electrification, and galvanized steel structures.

• They have expanded into scaffolding, formwork systems for civil construction, and a SAIL yard for stocking/distribution.

• Mission: Deliver high-quality, sustainable infrastructure solutions by exceeding client expectations and maintaining high standards.

?? B. Galvanizing Process Overview

• Galvanizing involves coating steel with zinc for corrosion resistance.

• Zinc consumption is a major operational cost; minimizing waste is economically important.

???? C. Sources of Zinc Wastage

1. Dross Formation: Reaction of zinc with iron particles; contains 90–95% zinc.

2. Zinc Ash: Powdery byproduct with 60–70% zinc.

3. Zinc Pickup: Excess coating thickness leads to wastage.

4. Human Error: Poor supervision and handling.

???? D. Effluent Treatment & Reuse

• Facility treats dichromate streams, reducing hexavalent chromium to safer trivalent form.

• Quenching heat is reused to warm flux and degreasing solutions—energy-efficient reuse of process heat.

???? E. Hazardous Waste Storage & Disposal

1. Zinc Dross: Solid slabs (25–30 kg) stored in enclosed areas; sold to authorized vendors.

2. Zinc Ash: Stored in bags under shelter; also sold.

3. ETP Sludge: Cake form; stored in MOEF-compliant offsite disposal facility.

4. Spent Acid: Hydrochloric acid waste treated in ETP until suitable authorized vendor is found.

5. Spent Oil: Reused for conveyor chain lubrication.

???? F. Literature Survey on Wastewater Treatment

1. Case Studies and Regional Practices

• Bay of Plenty (New Zealand): Real-time monitoring and industry-regulator collaboration led to a 40% pollution reduction.

• India & Oregon (USA): Advanced technologies like membrane bioreactors and closed-loop systems significantly reduced water use and discharge.

2. Regulations & Standards

• U.S.: Clean Water Act governs wastewater discharge.

• EU: Unified standards via the Water Framework Directive.

• China & Japan: Tightened standards with customized regional approaches.

3. Best Practices for Compliance

• Staff training, internal audits, robust monitoring, equipment maintenance.

• Regulatory agencies like the EPA enforce rules, issue permits, and provide training.

???? G. Future of Wastewater Treatment

Technological Innovations

• Advanced membranes, nanotechnology, AI, and UV/ozone treatments enhance efficiency and eco-friendliness.

• Real-time optimization, failure prediction, and smart dosing improve system reliability.

Sustainability Trends

• Energy recovery (e.g., biogas generation).

• Water reuse and nutrient recovery (phosphorus, nitrogen).

• Use of green infrastructure for stormwater management (rain gardens, permeable pavements).

???? H. Experimental & Monitoring Methods

• Sampling: Manual collection, pH on-site, COD and TSS analyzed in lab within 24 hours.

• Instruments: Hach pH meter, COD reactor, and spectrophotometer.

• Importance of regular monitoring and sampling techniques to ensure compliance and optimize performance.

???? I. Overview of Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Key Components:

• Pre-treatment: Removal of solids using screens and grit chambers.

• Core treatment: Biological, chemical, or physical methods.

• Advanced monitoring: Ensures system adjustment and regulation compliance.

? Key Takeaways

• Minimizing zinc waste, managing hazardous byproducts, and efficient effluent treatment are central to KEC’s sustainability.

• Regulatory compliance and future-ready innovations ensure environmental responsibility.

• Integration of monitoring, automation, and reuse systems makes KEC a model for sustainable industrial wastewater management.

Conclusion

The success or failure of any monitoring scheme depends, to a largeextent, on the design of the sampling programme. Although there a vast literature on chemical analysis of wastewater, and adequate information about sampling techniques. The analysis of effluent recorded high load of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The BOD load was associated with the presence of organic materials perhaps in the formof organic waste and the COD load was linked with the oxidisable chemicals in the effluentThe analysis further revealed large amount of iron and zinc and marginal amount oflead and chromium. All these metallic substances originated fromthe raw materials ,bathing and washing units of the industry. The presence of different metals contributed to the toxicity of the galvanizing industry effluent and to the living organism also. From the above findings it can be concluded that the galvanizing industry effluent is toxic in nature, capable of altering thequalityofreceiving ecosystem and harmful to the living organisms both plants and animals. The effluent requires appropriate treatment to reduce its toxicity to a minimum level before releasing into nearby areas.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Deepshikha Jain. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.