Track: Operations Management
Abstract
The Existing study's intention is to provide solutions to the operations of abattoir waste water treatment facilities in oder to stabilise Quality compliance to the legislature of the Country (south Africa). A number of abattoirs presents in-efficiencies in its waste water treatment plants. In particular, Municipalities witness the disposal of the waste carcasses, blood, solid waste, fats and proteins indiscriminately. This portends danger to human health and the ecosystem at large. The driving force behind this research is the disposal of contaminated water in municipal drains by abattoirs in the meat production sector, while the country’s water crisis remains unabated. The Government cannot allow contamination of the little available water. Data for this research has been sourced from a typical abattoir located at Ekurhuleni, East of Johannesburg. The abattoir slaughters about a Hundred and twenty (120) cattle per day and produces about 60m3 of waste water to the effluent plant. Its waste water treatment facilities uses mechanical processes for the treatment of the Beef waste water. The facilities struggle to keep quality compliance at optimum at all times as required by quality and standards. This research adopt a method whereby the waste water sample is collected, and taken to a standard laboratory for analysis. Laboratory reagents are then introduced to the partially treated water. Flocculation tests to the waste water sample are conducted in an attempt to aid the sedimentation of the undesired substance in the waste water. The waste water treatment plant at the current status has been found to reduce the Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) from 7000-6000ppm, Conductivity from 7.5-5.5 mS/cm, Total suspended solids (TSS) from 700-650ppm, Nitrates from 720-600 ppm, and Phosphates from 600-400ppm. Some of the reagents used include but not limited to aluminium chlorate, ferriflocc, ferric chloride and Polymers. The introduction of these chemicals into the effluent water proves to be useful to the settling process of the water. The results show that quality of the mechanically treated water can be improved by reducing the COD, by 39%, TSS by 58%, Phosphates and nitrates by an average of 40%. Although, this treatment produces compliant water. Further work is still ongoing to optimise the plant.
Keywords: Abattoir, Waste Water, contamination, management, standards
Biographies:
Victor Msimango is currently a Masters student in the Department of Quality and Operations Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He attended at the University of Johannesburg and obtained His National Diploma in Chemical Engineering In 2015, He further obtained a B-Tech in Quality Management in 2018. Victor worked as a Junior Manager for three water treatment Companies in Johannesburg and participated in a number of water treatment Operations where he gained both; Plant and Laboratory exposure.
Paul Amaechi Ozor studied Mechanical/Production Engineering at Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2001. He worked as project manager in Engineering Companies in Nigeria before proceeding to Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka where he obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering- Industrial Engineering and Management in 2008. He was subsequently employed as a teaching and research staff of the Department in 2009 and obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Industrial Engineering and Management in the same Department in 2015. Dr Ozor had been awarded the Association of Common Wealth Universitie’s early career scholarship (2014). He is an NRF-DST-TWAS fellow to the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interest include Industrial operations modelling, Systems Analysis and Reliability Engineering among others.
Professor Charles Mbohwa is the Ag, Executive Dean of Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg. He obtained B. Sc. Honours in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 from Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. He later bagged M. Sc. in Operations Management and Manufacturing Systems in 1992, with a distinction from Department of Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK. He obtained PhD in Engineering (Production Systems focusing on Energy and life cycle assessment) from Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan in 2004. Professor Mbohwa is an NRF-rated established researcher. In January 2012 he was confirmed as an established researcher making significant contribution to the developing fields of sustainability and life cycle assessment. In addition, he has produced high quality body of research work on Southern Africa. He is an active member of the United Nations Environment Programme/Society of Environmental and Toxicology and Chemistry Life Cycle Initiative, where he has served on many taskforce teams.
A number of abattoirs presents in-efficiencies in its waste water treatment plants. In particular, Municipalities witness the disposal of the waste carcasses, blood, solid waste, fats and proteins indiscriminately. This portends danger to human health and the ecosystem at large. The driving force behind this research is the disposal of contaminated water in municipal drains by abattoirs in the meat production sector, while the country’s water crisis remains unabated. The Government cannot allow contamination of the little available water. Data for this research has been sourced from a typical abattoir located at Ekurhuleni, East of Johannesburg. The abattoir slaughters about a Hundred and twenty (120) cattle per day and produces about 60m3 of waste water to the effluent plant. Its waste water treatment facilities uses mechanical processes for the treatment of the Beef waste water. The facilities struggle to keep quality compliance at optimum at all times as required by quality and standards. This research adopt a method whereby the waste water sample is collected, and taken to a standard laboratory for analysis. Laboratory reagents are then introduced to the partially treated water. Flocculation tests to the waste water sample are conducted in an attempt to aid the sedimentation of the undesired substance in the waste water. The waste water treatment plant at the current status has been found to reduce the Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) from 7000-6000ppm, Conductivity from 7.5-5.5 mS/cm, Total suspended solids (TSS) from 700-650ppm, Nitrates from 720-600 ppm, and Phosphates from 600-400ppm. Some of the reagents used include but not limited to aluminium chlorate, ferriflocc, ferric chloride and Polymers. The introduction of these chemicals into the effluent water proves to be useful to the settling process of the water. The results show that quality of the mechanically treated water can be improved by reducing the COD, by 39%, TSS by 58%, Phosphates and nitrates by an average of 40%. Although, this treatment produces compliant water. Further work is still ongoing to optimise the plant.
Keywords: Abattoir, Waste Water, contamination, management, standards
Biographies:
Victor Msimango is currently a Masters student in the Department of Quality and Operations Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He attended at the University of Johannesburg and obtained His National Diploma in Chemical Engineering In 2015, He further obtained a B-Tech in Quality Management in 2018. Victor worked as a Junior Manager for three water treatment Companies in Johannesburg and participated in a number of water treatment Operations where he gained both; Plant and Laboratory exposure.
Paul Amaechi Ozor studied Mechanical/Production Engineering at Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2001. He worked as project manager in Engineering Companies in Nigeria before proceeding to Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka where he obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering- Industrial Engineering and Management in 2008. He was subsequently employed as a teaching and research staff of the Department in 2009 and obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Industrial Engineering and Management in the same Department in 2015. Dr Ozor had been awarded the Association of Common Wealth Universitie’s early career scholarship (2014). He is an NRF-DST-TWAS fellow to the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interest include Industrial operations modelling, Systems Analysis and Reliability Engineering among others.
Professor Charles Mbohwa is the Ag, Executive Dean of Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg. He obtained B. Sc. Honours in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 from Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. He later bagged M. Sc. in Operations Management and Manufacturing Systems in 1992, with a distinction from Department of Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK. He obtained PhD in Engineering (Production Systems focusing on Energy and life cycle assessment) from Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan in 2004. Professor Mbohwa is an NRF-rated established researcher. In January 2012 he was confirmed as an established researcher making significant contribution to the developing fields of sustainability and life cycle assessment. In addition, he has produced high quality body of research work on Southern Africa. He is an active member of the United Nations Environment Programme/Society of Environmental and Toxicology and Chemistry Life Cycle Initiative, where he has served on many taskforce teams.