To produce without pollution is becoming an essential target for industry, and the strategy of waste minimization is increasingly seen as the best way forward. It is particularly relevant to the chemical and petrochemical industries, where large quantities of hazardous and toxic wastes are produced and can pose formidable problems. The high costs and difficulty of clean-up and "end-of-pipe" treatment clearly point to a need for waste minimization and pollution prevention concepts to be integral to the design and operation of the production processes. The 22 papers selected for this volume provide an overview of this important topic. With a clear focus on practical experience gained around the world, they cover the range of policies and technologies to minimize waste in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
Alternative strategies for meeting stringent effluent guidelines, W.W. Eckenfelder; status and direction of waste minimization in the chemical and petrochemical industries, A.J. Englande; the clean technology incentive scheme of the state of Victoria, Australia, M.A. Connor and D. Reeve; evaluation of treatment efficiency of processes for petroleum refinery wastewater, K.K. Chin; SO2 emission reduction through the use of the "humid oxidation process", I. Fink; full scale treatment of phenolic coke coking waste water under unsteady conditions, J. Suschka et al; technological and constructive aspects of the installation of impermeabilizing membranes, F.L. Teigeiro; approaches and practices related to hazardous waste management, processing and final disposal in Germany and Brazil, J.A.L. Passos et al; profitability increase of alcohol distilleries by the rational use of byproducts, A.C. Van Haandel et al; monitoring of fugitive emissions in petrochemical plant, R. Figliuolo Brandao; the sewage works manager - an industrialist's friend or foe?, P. Matthews; increasing regulations result in decreasing operational efficiency, C.W. Ganze and R.L. Brown; hydrochloric acid recycling from chlorinated hydrocarbons, D. Sowieja and M. Schaub; source pollution control program at the Camacari petrochemical complex - overall and individual improvements, P.A. Freire et al; wastewater treatment and integrated environmental protection at the BASF AG in Ludwigshafen, Germany, U.J. Strotmann and W. Weisbrodt; US EPA's pollution prevention RD&D results - "practical tools for the trade", J.S. Bridges; independent environmental audit at Copene - first results of a partnership, V.L. De Abreu Pereira et al; treatment of high-strength, complex and toxic chemical wastewater - end-of pipe "best available technology" vs. an in-plant control program, S. Belkin et al; waste incineration - the bridge between today's capability and future goals, J.T. Pledger; biologically resistant contaminants, primary treatment with ozone, D.F. Echegaray and R.F. Olivieri; ecotoxicology of waters under the influence of a petrochemical complex, R. Noll et al.