Teaching Applied Chemistry in a Pollution Control Context Nancy J. Sell College of Environmental Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54302 On November 9-11, 1979, a Presidential Conference on Industrial Chehists and the American Chemical Society (ACS) was held in St. Louis, Missouri. The purpose of this meeting was to explore and define ways to make the ACS more reannnsive to the nrofessional and technical needs of industrial ----chern~stsAmong the recommendatiuns of the ('onterence were four relatuw to the rollere curr~culum.T h r first of these is "Modifying the. . .curriculum to give greater emphasis on tonics such industrial chemistrv. nolvmer chemistrv, vat. ents, and chemical engineering for chemists."' For the past five vears the Universitv of Wisconsin-Green Bay has offered a course, Industrial ~ b ~ ~ u t Control ion ~ e c h n k p e s which , serves this very purpose. Specifically, it combines knowledge from the fields of both industrial chemistry and chemical engineering and utilizes this knowledge in the context of understanding the problems of pollution and the potential methods of pollution control.
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Rationale for Course Offering According to a number of recent studies and articles, employment opportunities for those chemistry graduates having completed "applied" courses (such as courses which include information on industrial p r o c e ~ s e swill, ) ~ during the 1980's, be greater than for the traditional chemistry graduate. Pollution/pollution control is one of a number of applied chemistry areas in which there is much interest and concern. The U.S. Department of Labor, for example, has reported3 that manv chemists will. in the future. be workinn- on -vroblems relating t o pollution control. However, currently very little formal trainine in this area is available, ~articularlvat schwls which do not gffer a chemical engineerkg degree. In spite of many recent advances in control methods, much of the pollution in the US. is created by industry. Unfortunately, few know of what this pollution is comprised, let alone the methods available and used to combat it. Many chemistry students, and engineering students as well, graduate from college, obtain a job (often in industry or some governmental agency which oversees industry), and still have no idea of the problems or solutions associated with pollution control. A chemistry-based course considering this topic can thus be very beneficial to a large number of students. The 3-credit course (2-credit lecture, 1-credit field trips) described above has been offered during our university's January interim period, a one-month session which allows the students to concentrate their efforts on one or maybe two subjects and which is often utilized for nontraditioua~comes. T h e level of the course is designed for students with a minimum of one year of college chkmistry. Though designed primarily for undergraduate chemistry majors, it is open to graduate student enrollment. The course content can be divided into three major sections: A~
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1) Pollution itself-the effectsof specific pollutants and the laws
governing pollutant emissions 2) The methods currently available to collect andlor treat air and water . oollution and for solid waste disuosal 3) As cross-sectionof types of industries and the problems specific to each type. Included are the following: 292
Journal of Chemical Education
a. The possible processing methods h. The production of the various pollutants c. The typical control methods utilized Where appropriate, also considered are resource recovery, the energy situation, land use, and raw materials supplies. Emphasized at all times are the chemical principles on which the various vrocesses are based. In addition, the course is concluded with a summarv of current sn\.ironmental quality and a discussion of the cost-benefit of pollution runtn~l. The corresponding tield trips have varied from year LO year hut aenerall\r include places such as a municipal waste water treatment facility, a paper company, a foundry, a cement andlor lime production plant, and an electrical generating facility. Specific places are chosen to provide a balance between the various types of pollution and various control methods. Course Content This course treats pollution first in very general terms and then, with that as a background, in a much more specific manner, considering not only explicit types of industries, hut, in manv cases. narticular comvanies. I t is felt that in this way the stuhent wit not only acq&e a broad enough background to predict the type of control equipment which will likely be useful under given technical, economic, and legal conditions, but also that the exposure to specific cases will indicate the necessary modifications of the methods which might be required and the multitudinous conditions which can exist. The initial topic thus isan introduction to the nature of air and wnter pullurion and solid waste and its effects ton man, materials, and climate). Included are air animals, ~ o l l u t a n t such s as carbon monoxide, the sulfur and nitrogen oxides. - - - - hvdrocarhons. ~ ~* ~ ~ ~ , ozone. and varticulates; water vollutants such as BOD, tokc suhstanc& and acid water systems; and solid waste. includine flvash -~ - and sludnes. The current these forms of pollut&n are next sumregulations marized. With this experience the student then can inveqtigate the rnmmon air pollurion control methods. Though this discussion emphasizes the collt:ction methods, there is also cmsidrration oi the physical principles on which the collection methods are based and ofthe possihility uf reducing pollution by making process changes. That topic is followed by a fairly thorough examination of water treatment-not only primary and secondary treatment procedures, but also many of the possible tertiary methods: microscreening, adsorption, chemical oxidation, electrodialp i s , ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. Whenever appropriate, an explanntion of the chemical and/or physical principles utilized is included to urwide the student with the information necessary for a thorough understanding of the procedure. ~~
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Mount. Ramon A,. "The Industrial Chemist and the American Chemical Society." ACS. Washington. D.C. 1980, p. 1. McClelland, A. L., C 8 ENews, 55 (November26.1979). Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1978-79 Edition," Bulletin 1955. US. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 1978, p. 378.
This material also includes a discussion of the methods of sludge handling, treatment, and disposal. Sext are discussed the disposal methods possible for both solid wastes (process wnstvs) and for toxicsubstances. In the solid waste category, the rmphasis is on sanitary landtills and the difficulties such as leachinr and anaerobic de~ ~notential - composition. For toxic substances, techniques such as solidification and ocean incineration are included. After completion of these more generalized topics, the course zeroes in on the specific process methods, pollutants generated, and avr~ilahlemethods of rontrul fur a broad crosssectiun of industries. The industries considered generally include iron and strel production, foundry operations, metal8 f~nishing, nonferrous metal production, cement manufacture, glass prnduction, pulp and paper manufncture, food procrdsine, brewing, tanning, and chemicals production. Within each industry, emphasisis placed on the predominant types of pollution and, whenever possible, any unique features of either the pollutants or the control equipment. The following is a brief summary of some of the specific topics included for each industry. The iron and steel industry is a very complex, vertically integrated industry. All aspects of the processing are considered, from the mining of the ore to the final shaping of the steel. The possible processing methods are discussed, including the new methods such as direct reduction, followed by an explanation of how and where the various pollutants are generated and controlled. Reserve Mining Company is utilized as a case study, illustrating not only the type of pollution which is likely, but also the legal action which can be taken and its impact on the industry involved. he next industry to$c is the metals processing done a t foundries. The maior foundrv dusts. are discussed . pollutants. . as not only air pollutants, but also as potential water pollutants. depending on the ~ollutioncontrol method employed. Copper and aluminum production are then discussed. The control of process-generated sulfur oxides are emphasized in the discussion of copper . . smelting and of sulfur oxides due to coal comhuition in thr section on aluminum purification. Also includrll here are the other impacta uf bmh coal combustion and coal extraction. Metals finishing can he subdivided into two industries: metal coatings (basicallyelectroplating) and chemical (organic resin) coatings. This course covers both types of finishing. Of snecial interest.. o . the area of chemical coatines .e r h a.~ .sin " is the discussion on coatings modifications to minimize pollution (waterborne coatines. high solids coatines. powder coatines. and those coatings khicgcan be cured b; Litraviolet lighco; electron beams). The lecture material then fust considers the various cement production methods (dry, wet, and semiwet) and next conEentmteson the waste kiln dust recycl~ngmethods w h ~ haw h beeen devrloprd. Includrd is thr new mt.th~~d ot hriquetttng which is currently being tested a t the Signal ~ o u n t a i n (Chattanooga, Tennessee) Plant. The next topic, on glass manufacture, includes a discussion of not only the process wastes formed, but also of some of the A~~~~
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limiting factors in waste glass recycling and some other uses for waste glass which have been developed. The pulp and paper industry, as is discussed, is undertaking some nossible process conversions to minimize certain emissions. Two case studies are used to illustrate the problemsand possible solutions-that paper mills experience; one of these plants, the Scott ~ a p e r ~ i has l l , had to close down at least oartiallv due to the environmental regulations. A number-of food process industries (canning, pickling, meat packing, sausage manufacture, and cheese production) are then conGdered.New methods of emission reduction (dry caustic peeling, hot gas blanching, and so forth) are discussed, as well as the traditional methods of waste disnosal. Recoverv of waste products such as whey is also included. The hrewing industry is the next topic. "Sludge hulking," a problem common only to certain types of industries, is discussed in this context. The tanning industry, as discussed next, produces a quantitv.of .rotei in like oollutants. Manv of the wastes are either acidic or basic. Many can be hazardous. The last industrv. .. the overall chemicals industry, considers the pn,cessiny from oil well to finished product. It is at this time that the en\,ironmentnl i~spectsof oil drilling, particularly of offshore wells, are covered.klso of concern iB the disposal of hazardous substances. The Toone, Tennessee, Velsical dumpsite problems are discussed as typical of many of the chemical dumpsites which are now creating serious problems. The last topic, the summary, addresses not only the overall success environmental efforts. hut also the cost (mon~ ~of the ~ ~ ~ etary and otherwise) of compliance k i t h the environmental reeulations. Also considered are some snecific oroblems which z i h t be remedied to simplify the sitiation ;or the affected industries. ~~
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Discussion
Most of the information which relates to specific types of industries has been "traditionally" available in magazines such as Chemical and Engineering News, Enuironmental Science and Technolom. and Pollution Encineerin~.A number of books are avaiiable, but generally they are too specific and thorough to provide the proper overview desired, to maintain the course a t this level of sophistication. T o remedy this problem, the author compiled information appropriate to this course and had it published as Industrial Pollution Control: Issues and Techniques.' The response to this course has generally been very favorable. The clientele has typically been approximately 15 students and has -consisted of both undergraduates eraduate ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - and " ~ students, including several who work full time in local industry. Of particular interest and educational value appear to be the field trips. For many, it is the first time the students have actually seen the functioning of a primary manufacturing industry. ~~
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Sell, Nancy J.. "Industrial Pollution Control: Issues and Techniques," Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1980.
Volume 59
Number 4
April 1982
293
