In the process of manufacturing various types of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, a large amount of pharmaceutical sludge is produced. This type of sludge has a special composition and is highly hazardous. Its treatment difficulty far exceeds that of ordinary municipal sludge and industrial sludge. The application of sludge enhancers has opened up a new path for the efficient and safe treatment of medical sludge, and its remarkable effect has been fully verified in practice.
The Characteristics and Treatment Challenges of Pharmaceutical sludge
Pharmaceutical sludge mainly comes from the fermentation, extraction, refinement and other links in the drug production process, and its characteristics are significantly different from those of other types of sludge. Firstly, the composition is extremely complex, containing a large amount of unreacted raw materials, intermediate products, residual drugs, organic solvents, and microbial cells, etc. These substances are diverse in types and have different chemical properties, which bring great difficulties to the treatment of sludge. Secondly, medical sludge often contains high concentrations of organic pollutants, some of which are biologically toxic and persistent. If not properly treated, it can easily cause serious pollution to soil, water bodies and the atmosphere. Furthermore, due to the presence of a large number of microbial fermentation steps in the production process, the content of pathogenic bacteria and pathogens in medical sludge is relatively high, posing a risk of disease transmission. In addition, the moisture content of pharmaceutical sludge is usually between 90% and 95%, and the water combines closely with the organic matter in the sludge, forming bound water that is difficult to separate. Traditional dewatering methods are thus ineffective.
The traditional methods for treating medical sludge have many drawbacks. Landfill treatment not only occupies a large amount of land resources, but also may pollute groundwater due to the leakage of harmful substances in the sludge. Although incineration treatment can achieve a certain degree of reduction and harmlessness, the organic components in medical sludge may produce highly toxic substances such as dioxins and furans during the incineration process. At the same time, incineration requires a large amount of energy and has a relatively high cost. Biological treatment methods, due to the presence of toxic and harmful substances in sludge, can inhibit the activity of microorganisms, resulting in low treatment efficiency and difficulty in achieving the desired effect.
The principle of action of sludge enhancers in treating medical sludge
The sludge enhancer, in response to the unique properties of pharmaceutical sludge, achieves efficient treatment through the synergistic effect of multiple components. Its working principle is mainly reflected in the following aspects.
Destroy complex structures and release bound water
A large amount of organic matter in pharmaceutical sludge interweaves with each other, forming a stable colloidal structure that firmly binds water within it. The highly efficient gel-breaking components in the sludge enhancer can penetrate this colloidal structure, break the chemical bonds between organic molecules, and cause the collapse of the colloidal structure. Meanwhile, the penetrant in the sludge efficiency enhancer can penetrate deep into the interior of sludge particles, reducing the binding force between water and organic matter, converting bound water into free water, and creating favorable conditions for subsequent dewatering treatment.
Degrade toxic and harmful substances and reduce the risk of pollution
The specific degradation components in the sludge enhancer can play a role in dealing with toxic and harmful substances such as residual drugs and organic solvents in medical sludge. These components can undergo chemical reactions with toxic and harmful substances, converting them into non-toxic or low-toxic substances. For instance, for certain antibiotic residues, the specific enzyme components in sludge enhancers can disrupt their molecular structure, rendering them biologically inactive and reducing their harm to the environment.
Inhibit pathogenic bacteria and ensure the safety of treatment
The sludge enhancer has added antibacterial components, which can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and pathogens in medical sludge. These antibacterial components can destroy the cell membranes of pathogenic bacteria and inhibit their metabolic processes, thereby reducing the health risks of sludge during treatment, transportation and disposal, and ensuring the safety of operators and the surrounding environment.
Improve dehydration performance and enhance processing efficiency
Through the above-mentioned effects, the sludge enhancer can significantly improve the dewatering performance of medical sludge. It can cause sludge particles to coagulate into larger flocs, enhancing the sedimentation rate and filtration performance of sludge. During the dehydration process, the pores formed between the flocs allow water to be discharged smoothly, reducing the clogging of the filter material and improving the operational efficiency of the dehydration equipment.
The remarkable effect of sludge enhancer in treating medical sludge
The dewatering efficiency has been significantly enhanced, achieving sludge reduction
In the treatment of pharmaceutical sludge, sludge enhancers can reduce the moisture content of sludge from 90% - 95% to 50% - 60%, achieving a remarkable reduction effect. A large-scale antibiotic manufacturing enterprise previously used traditional flocculants to treat medical sludge. After dewatering by a plate and frame filter press, the moisture content of the sludge was still above 80%, and the daily output of sludge reached 200 tons. After the introduction of the sludge enhancer, the same plate and frame filter press was used. The moisture content of the sludge was reduced to 55%, the daily sludge volume was decreased to about 80 tons, and the sludge volume was reduced by 60%, greatly reducing the pressure of subsequent transportation and disposal.
Toxic and harmful substances have been effectively removed, reducing environmental risks
Sludge enhancers can significantly reduce the content of toxic and harmful substances in medical sludge. The sludge from a certain biopharmaceutical factory contains a relatively high concentration of organic solvents and residual drugs. Before the use of sludge enhancers, the content of organic solvents in the treated sludge was 500mg/kg, and the content of residual drugs was 30mg/kg, far exceeding the relevant discharge standards. After treatment with sludge enhancer, the content of organic solvents was reduced to below 50mg/kg, and the residual drug content was less than 1mg/kg, meeting the requirements for safe disposal and effectively avoiding secondary pollution.
It has a remarkable antibacterial effect and ensures the safety of the treatment process
The number of pathogenic bacteria in the medical sludge treated with the sludge enhancer has been significantly reduced. The test data of a certain pharmaceutical enterprise shows that the number of Escherichia coli in the sludge before treatment was 10⁶ per g. After treatment with the sludge enhancer, the number of Escherichia coli dropped below 10³ per g, meeting the hygiene and safety standards and reducing the risk of disease transmission during the treatment process.
Reduce processing costs and improve economic benefits
Although the use of sludge enhancers increases the cost of chemicals, on the whole, it can significantly reduce the overall treatment cost. The above-mentioned antibiotic manufacturing enterprises, after using the sludge enhancer, have saved about 100,000 yuan in sludge transportation costs each month due to a significant reduction in sludge volume. Meanwhile, the frequency of filter cloth replacement for the dehydration equipment has been reduced from twice a week to once a month, saving approximately 80,000 yuan annually in equipment maintenance and filter cloth procurement costs. After deducting the cost of chemicals, the enterprise can still save about 150,000 yuan in costs each year.