STUDIES ON THE REMOVAL OF DETERGENTS FROM WASTE WATER

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of an advanced civilisation is its concern for the disposal of its society's waste products in a safe and environ mentally acceptable manner. The controlled treatment of waste waters in some countries had its conception in the aftermath of the epidemics of cholera and other diseases. The major pollutants then were 'natural' compounds which owed very little to the ingenuity of the industrial chemist. This is not so now. In many developed countries, the wastes from industrial processes are not only being produced in ever increasing amounts, but also contain toxic and poorly degradable compounds. These are often considerably more hazardous than domestic sewage. Although the treatment of industrial wastes in order to render them fit for disposal into natural streams falls logically in the domain of sanitary engineering, the overall problems in handling wastes from industry are more complex as compared to domestic sewage and demands chemical overhauling. .................