WHITHER ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGN ?

In the past few years, the campaign for protecting the environment from wilful damage by the industries in India have been reasonably successful. The environmental consciousness have been created amongst the common men to a considerable extent.

While this is a positive development, of late, one tend to think that such campaign is becoming somewhat counter productive and some sort of hate campaign, creating an impression that every industrial activity, particularly in the chemical sector, is a cause for environmental hazard. This has resulted in a situation where the industries are looked upon with suspicion and as villains by the general public.

With the gaining popularity of pro environmental approach, the environmental campaign itself appears to have become a full time profession for many persons, with a number of individuals and organisations under the banner of NGO imagining themselves to be some sort of policemen and thinking that they alone are the sole protectors of nature.

In their enthusiasm, they seem to have clearly overlooked the fact that those running industries are also part of the society and they can have as much concern for protecting the environment. As a matter of fact, those in charge of managing and running the industrial enterprises are likely to have greater knowledge and understanding of the environmental issues.

Let us take the case of plastics which consist of several types such as Poly Vinyl Chloride, Poly Acetal, Poly Carbonate and others and which appears to have become a pet subject for the environmentalists. The campaign against the plastics is that they are not degradable and it would take around one thousand years for them to degrade completely. On the other hand, plastics do no harm unless they would be burnt and there is no need for burning of plastics at any time. At the same time, the contribution of plastics to the growth of economy and development is so enormous that one cannot think of life today without the use of plastics including in the medical field.

Possibly, the plastics has been viewed in an adverse manner mainly because of the use of thin plastic films for packaging purposes, which are often discarded by the consumers and are found everywhere. Such thin plastic films left discarded can do harm, like the recent incident of a cow eating the plastic and which could cause death in some instances. This is no reason to discard the plastics but only call for procedures and methods to collect the plastic wastes and send them to recycling plants which is a productive economic and industrial activity.

The environmentalists have been casual in propagating against plastics instead of viewing it in a positive manner. They paint every producer and consumer of plastic as an anti environmentalist which is not so.

In recent times, perhaps, compelled by the strong environmental campaign and government regulations, the industries have shown considerable initiative in putting up effluent treatment plants and in devising or modifying processes that would not generate effluent at all. Commendable achievements have been made in this direction which the environmentalists appear to have failed to recognise. For example, the achievements made in combating the environmental problem in leather industries is very commendable, which would not have been possible without the cooperation of the industries.

What is particularly surprising is that when the NGOs protest very strongly against the large industries who share their concern and are trying to improve matter, the NGOs ignore the massive environmental hazards caused due to the inadequate management by municipalities and corporations as well as the governments. Can there be a greater source of environmental hazard than the cooum canal in Chennai with nauseating smell, or operation of cremation grounds amongst residential population, as it is happening in Besant Nagar in Chennai.

Further, one gets an impression that the environmental standards adopted in advanced countries are blindly copied in India also without duly taking in to consideration the technology and investment limitations and economy of size of the Indian units. Stipulation of such standards have resulted in closure of a number of small scale units and a few large ones in recent times, leading to severe loss of productive capacities, which could have been avoided by adopting a more pragmatic approach.

It is necessary that the environmental campaign must become more positive in the coming years and should lead to a healthy dialogue between the production centres and the public, that would promote greater understanding of the issues involved.

There is no case for confrontation as healthy living is a concern of all. While there could have been some sort of environmental violations by industries in the past, the concept of responsible care is gaining ground amongst the industries rapidly in India. The industries are willing to make investment in waste treatment plants and in process modifications and there is strong case for the environmentalists to recognise and encourage such trend, instead of reducing themselves to the level of mere critics.

Nanotechnology is an umbrella term that covers many areas of research dealing with objects that have grain or particle sizes in the range of 1-100 nanometers. Thus, as we make a shift towards the nanoscale, we slowly approach closer to the atomic or molecular scales. Atoms are the building blocks of all matter.

The industry assembles the materials in a multitude of ways to get the final product. The properties of those products depend on the atomic arrangement to a large extent. If we arrange the atoms in coal, we can make diamond. If we rearrange the atoms in sand (and add a few other trace elements) we can make computer chips. Engineering at the nano level can bring about drastic changes in properties of the products.

Nanotechnology involves altering and manipulating the properties of any product by snapping atoms, fundamental building blocks and create desired substances which are lighter and more stronger. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter and about one thousand the width of a human hair. The advantage of nanoscale devices is not only its small size but also small power consumption.

Nanotechnology is opening up new vistas in a number of fields ranging from the automobile sector to the electronics and IT sector and even in biotech sector.

In this article, following aspects are discussed :

• Product characteristics
• Product specifications
• Application Details
• Manufacturing Process
• Indian Demand
• Import/Export details
• Global scenario
• Global demand
• US Import/Export details
• Chinese Production Capacity

In the November 2004 issue of NANDINI CHEMICAL JOURNAL, a reference was made to the research efforts carried out recently relating to the anti diabetic property of the plant Pterocarpus marsupim.

Dr.J.D.Ramanathan, a renowned pharmaceutical scientist wrote, stating that trials on anti diabetes application of Pterocarpus marsupim has been done in India about 50 years back by a team of scientists including Dr.J.D.Ramanathan .

Dr.J.D.Ramanathan further forwarded a paper published by him in the Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, Volume 12, No.2 February 1958 issue .The article is reproduced.

The quest for new antidiabetic preparations has entered a new phase of activity in recent years with the introduction of synthetic preparations like BZ55.

An investigation was, therefore, initiated to determine the blood sugar-reducing properties of pure substances, derived from reputed indigenous drugs used in diabetes mellitus, and their synthetic analogues.

Pterocarpus marsupium (red sandalwood; Bijasar; Raktachandana) has been reputed to possess antidiabetic properties. It is believed that water stored in vessels made of this wood possesses antidiabetic action.

Ojha et al reported the action of aqueous infusions of the wood Pterocarpus marsupium on blood sugar in rabbits. Bose et al studied its gross chemical constituents. Sepaha and Bose have conducted clinical investigations with aqueous and alcoholic infusions of Pterocarpus marsupium and found it promising.

Dr.J.D.Ramanathan extracted pterostilbene (3: 5-dimethoxy 4'-hydroxy stilbene) in a pure state from the heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium. As investigations with pterostilbene were promising, a synthetic analogue 3':4'-dimethoxy stilbene was prepared for investigation.

The study consisted of investigations on the actions of these two stilbene compounds on the fasting blood sugar in dogs and a preliminary study of their pharmacological actions.

Chemical Industries Association based in Chennai, India organised an Interactive Seminar on Environmental issues concerning the Chemical Industries on 19th November, 2004 at Chennai, India.

The programme was inaugurated by Mr.P.S.Jayaraman, Managing Director, Chemplast Sanmar Ltd., Chennai, India

A number of interesting papers on various environmental issues were presented during the Seminar, which was well attended.

At the end of the Programme, a panel discussion was organised for an in depth analysis of the socio, economic and technological aspects relating to environmental issues in chemical industries .Panel members and delegates actively participated in the discussion.

Speakers

• Mr.P.K.N.Panikar, President, Chemical Industries Association, Chennai, India.

• Dr.S.Rajamani, Director Grade Scientist & Head,Environmental Technology Department, Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, India.

• Mr.K.Sadanand, Vice President-Sales Marketing, GEA Energy Systems I Ltd., Chennai, India

• Mr.S.Mani, General Manager Engg.Projects & EHS, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Chennai, India

• Mr.K.Babu Prasad, Sr.Manager-Quality Assurance, Speciality Chemicals Group, ITW India Ltd., Hyderabad, India

• Mr.R.Narasimhan, Director, Protech Consultants Pvt Ltd., Chennai, India

• Mr.R.Azmatullah, Assistant General Manager, Arudra Engineers Pvt Ltd., Chennai, India

Excerpt from selected presentations are provided.

IN DEFENCE OF CHLORINE & PLASTICS

Application potential of Chlorine was extensively discussed during the interactive seminar by Mr.R.Narasimhan, Director, Protech Consultants Pvt.Ltd., Chennai, India

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES FOR MANAGEMENT OF LIQUID AND SOLID WASTES FROM TANNERIES AND TREATMENT PLANTS

Excerpt from the paper presented during the interactive seminar on environmental issues concerning chemical industries by Dr S Rajamani, Department of Environmental Technology, Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, India.

Development of sustainable technologies for tannery waste management has become a matter of increasing concern. Design, development and maintenance of an effluent treatment plant to comply with all environmental regulations is a difficult task in view of the complex nature of the tannery effluent.

Main constraints are unpredictable seasonal and daily variations in quality and volume of tannery effluent discharge, selection of appropriate technology, high operational and maintenance cost, inadequately trained manpower for operation and maintenance of ETPs and CETPs, sludge and solid waste disposal problems, constraints in meeting pollution control standards such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) etc.

In India, medium and a few small scale isolated tanneries numbering about 150 with sufficient land area and financial capacities have set up independent effluent treatment plants.

Tanneries located in clusters and not having enough land and financial capacity to put up individual effluent treatment units need to set up common effluent treatment plants (CETP). It has been planned to set up 30 CETPs. 17 units are under operation and other CETPs are under various stages of implementation

CHX TEFLON COVERED CONDENSING HEAT EXCHANGERS
FOR FLUE GAS HEAT RECOVERY

Excerpt from the paper presented during the interactive seminar on Environmental Issues concerning chemical industry by R.Azmatullah, Assistant General Manager, Arudra Engineers Pvt.Ltd., Chennai.

EVAPORATOR FOR DISPOSAL OF EFFLUENT WATER

Excerpt from the paper presented BY Dr.J.R.Mosses, Director –Technical, Enviro Care Systems, Chennai, India during the interactive seminar on Environmental Issues in Chemical Industries.

A STUDY OF GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES
IN METAL WORKING FLUIDS

Excerpt from the paper presented during the interactive seminar on Environmental Issues on chemical industries by Mr.K.Babu Prasad & Mr.Sanjeev Kale, Speciality Chemicals and Equipment Group, ITW India Ltd., Hyderabad, India.

A variety of metal working fluids like water soluble, semi synthetic and synthetic are used for various metal removing operations such as milling, grinding, cutting, turning etc. These fluids normally perform multiple roles of heat removal, reduction of wear, chip removal and friction associated to facilitate smooth execution of the operation in hand.

These products in combination with water, almost 15 to 40 times to the volume of the product, are generated as waste after the operations and will be discharged after treatment by organized sectors.

One can imagine the loads of waste generated. A study on good practices while using the metal working fluids and its benefits on environment has been highlighted.

DESIGN OF SEWAGE FACILITY IN SHARJAH

The phase 6 extension to the Sharjah sewage treatment works in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] has recently been opened, adding an additional 37 000 m3 per day of sewage processing capacity to the existing facility.

The total treatment capacity of the newly extended facility, now stands at 148000 m3 of sewage per day.

The expanded works was required to cope with the emirate's growing population, which is fuelling a boom in infrastructure projects.

The £18 million [US$ 32.5 million] phase 6 project includes a new inlet works, activated sludge aeration lanes, final effluent clarification, rapid gravity sand filtration, a final effluent pumping station with disinfection pipework, sludge thickening and dewatering, ancillary services and control mechanisms.

ACWa Services Ltd and its sister company, Consolidated Contractors International Co [CCIC], won the £18 million process design and engineering award for the project, in conjunction with Halcrow International Partnership, from the local government authority in Sharjah, UAE.

DESIGN OF SEWAGE FACILITY IN SHARJAH

The phase 6 extension to the Sharjah sewage treatment works in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] has recently been opened, adding an additional 37 000 m3 per day of sewage processing capacity to the existing facility.

The total treatment capacity of the newly extended facility, now stands at 148000 m3 of sewage per day.

The expanded works was required to cope with the emirate's growing population, which is fuelling a boom in infrastructure projects.

The £18 million [US$ 32.5 million] phase 6 project includes a new inlet works, activated sludge aeration lanes, final effluent clarification, rapid gravity sand filtration, a final effluent pumping station with disinfection pipework, sludge thickening and dewatering, ancillary services and control mechanisms.

ACWa Services Ltd and its sister company, Consolidated Contractors International Co [CCIC], won the £18 million process design and engineering award for the project, in conjunction with Halcrow International Partnership, from the local government authority in Sharjah, UAE.

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