Water is used extensively in the meat processing business to wash the carcasses of cattle, sheep, and pigs. Water is also utilised to sanitise and completely clean all of the facility's equipment involved in the process. To make hair removal easier, hogs are scalded with a considerable amount of water. Every killing and processing shift at the plant must be followed by a thorough cleaning and sanitation procedure, according to federal standards. In most cases, the clean-up period consumes far more water than the actual meat processing. Because there is typically time between shifts and the processing and clean-up steps, wastewater generation can be inconsistent.
REDUCING WATER & EFFLUENT COSTS
This useful good practise guide addresses a variety of difficulties faced by poultry meat processing companies looking to identify and implement process improvements, particularly cost reductions in water, wastewater, and effluent. Poultry meat processors consume a lot of water and produce a lot of wastewater with a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and suspended particles content. More than 60% of total water use and effluent volume comes from evisceration, cleaning, and washing processes.
COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES
This best practise guide outlines a variety of cost-effective techniques that can help businesses of all sizes, save money while maintaining the same level of cleanliness and hygiene. Implementation of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive would put pressure on poultry processors to minimise both water use and effluent generation, in addition to raising costs.Many businesses can improve their processes as well as their cleaning operations. The guide explains how to save money by taking a methodical approach to lowering water consumption and wastewater creation.
The answers to the following questions form the basis of this step-by-step approach:
- What are your water and wastewater quantities and costs? What steps should you take to improve your situation?
- What can you do to increase bird delivery at your site?
- What are the steps in your process?
- What are your cleaning procedures?
- What's the status of your wastewater treatment?
WASTEWATER FROM MEAT PROCESSORS
Meat processing produces effluent with comparable properties. TSS and BOD levels are all high in them. Cities collect surcharges based on discharge loadings in these types of facilities. Surcharges can sometimes amount to tens of thousands of Rupees per month. Cities can cancel discharge permits if municipal wastewater treatment facilities are unable to manage fluids from industries, pushing firms to find a solution or shut down their factories.
A wastewater dissolved air flotation (DAF) system is the best solution in these situations. Facilities can totally remove TSS, and high amounts of BOD using a chemical/physical separation technique.A pre-treatment system, when properly constructed, can help bring effluents to acceptable levels for disposal to the city sewer.
STEPS TO TREAT MEAT PROCESSING WASTEWATER
EMULSION PH ADJUSTMENT: The pH controller uses acid to bring the pH down to 3.5. To break any emulsion, a coagulant de-emulsifier is used.A coagulant such as Alum or PAC is added to cause further de-emulsification and precipitation of the solids after the pH is lowered to 8.5 with caustic. The emulsion and suspended solids precipitate, as evidenced by the formation of a "pin floc."
FLASH MIX: The wastewater is brought to the flash mix zone with its precipitated pin floc, which is then treated with a polymer flocculent. The flocculent dispersion in the coagulated wastewater is maximised at this stage.
FLOCCULATION:The wastewater is now fed to the slow mix zone, which will agglomerate the floc into bigger particles that can be entangled with the air bubbles.