Downstream Petrochemical, Chemical & Plastic Processing Sector

Technology, especially in the chemical industry, had its genesis from the laboratories where the chemists were more concerned with the making of high purity products with a good yield. Repeated purifications were involved, thereby reducing the overall yield. However, to make it economically viable, technical grade purity was acceptable to the chemical industry, with yields as high as possible. This led to unconverted reactants, byproducts and wastes.

The wastes created in the process, mostly liquid effluents, were given basic or acidic treatment depending on its nature and discharged into the environment, i.e. either on land or on water bodies. The gaseous emissions were tolerated unless it was having a bad odour, since smoke-stacks were considered as the sign of modernity and industrialization vis-à-vis agriculture. However, the accumulation of such discharges and its effect on the land, flora and fauna made the society realize the ugly side of chemicals. Pressure, via legislation, was put on the industry to control water pollution, then air pollution and finally solid wastes.

End-of-pipe Treatment:

End-of-Pipe (EOP) treatments are generally practised for compliance with environmental regulations. For this pollution control divisions/sections have been created in normal production-oriented companies. The treatment, more often than not, transfers pollutants from one environmental medium to another and consumes resources out of proportion to the accrued benefit. The inherent weakness in the EOP approach is that it is curative in nature and is not based on the more appropriate prevention of pollution.