Water pollution minimization from garment factory : a case study in Phnom Penh city, Cambodia | |
| Author | Ear Kim Chheng |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no. EV-03-09 |
| Subject(s) | Clothing factories--Waste minimization--Cambodia--Phnom Penh Water--Pollution--Cambodia--Phnom Penh |
| Note | A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering. |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | This study was conducted to identify the water pollution prevention opportunities in the ga1ment processing industry. This industry uses vast amounts of water, energy and chemicals. Pollution minimization audits were conducted at one garment factory located in Phnom Penh, especially focusing on the washing process, the production process and the wastewater treatment facility. The factory was visited several times. Information about the operations, consumption of water, and chemicals were obtained by interviewing personnel and from documents supplied by the factory. Information about wastewater characteristics, wastewater treatment and sludge disposal records were obtained from the factory's records. Wastewater samples were collected and analyzed for COD, BOD5, pH, SS, and temperature. The amount of products was about 18.4 tons/day where water consumption was 2700 t/day. Most of the water, 2,510 tons/day, was consumed for washing process, and resulted in the generation of wastewater 2,390 t/day. The quality of the wastewater was in average BOD 377mg/l, COD 573 Omg/l, and SS 227mg/l. By treatment by the wastewater treatment plant in the factory reduced the pollutant concentrations to BOD 105mg/l, COD130mg/l, and SSlOO mg/l, but didn't satisfy effluent standard. Sludge settling test showed that sludge settled very fast, and it was indicated that improvement of settling tank will not be a very effective method for effluent water quality improvement. When the effluent was treated by paper filter, BOD was reduced to 69 mg/l, COD to 86 mg/l , and SS to 41 mg/l, and all satisfied effluent standard. It was indicated that regular operation of the filtration tank in the factory would be an effective method to improve the effluent water quality. The collected information was used to make recommendations to the management of each plant concerning possible implementations. There were several possibilities to reduce the pollution emission. To improve effluent water quality and to meet the effluent standards, it was found that filtration would be effective means. Also, strengthening the biological treatment was suggested to be potentially useful. Wastewater minimization techniques such as segregation of wastewater with different strengths and reuse of less polluted wastewater was suggested to be also potentially useful and worth further investigation. |
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Satoh, Hiroyasu |
| Examination Committee(s) | Visvanathan, C.;Preeda Parkpian |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) |
| Degree | Research Studies Project Report (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003 |