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STEEL INDUSTRY ETP CASE STUDY
How a 3600 KLD Steel Plant Eliminated 99.5% Cyanide & 99.2% Phenol
Industry: Steel Manufacturing (Coke Oven Effluent, HR/CR Plates, Galvanised Sheets, Pipes)
Plant Location: Eastern India | Plant Capacity: 3,600 m³/day (3.6 MLD)
Core Tech: Aeration Tanks, Anoxic Tanks, MBR & RO Recycling
99.5%
Cyanide Degradation (6.5 → 0.031 mg/L)
99.2%
Phenol Reduction (250 → 2.0 mg/L)
94.3%
Thiocyanate Degradation (350 → 20 mg/L)
This pharmaceutical wastewater treatment case study explains how a 30 KLD Oral Cephalosporin API manufacturing plant commissioned its Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASBR) in just 25 days using BactaServe Anaerobic. The project achieved 85 to 90% COD reduction, maintained a stable VFA to alkalinity ratio of 0.18, and established healthy granular sludge formation without using conventional seed sludge.
1. Background & Technical Challenge
Plant Overview
Coke production in integrated steel facilities generates highly toxic, refractory wastewater containing cyanides, thiocyanates, phenols, and heavy nitrogen loads. A major steel manufacturer in Eastern India operates a 3,600 m³/day (3.6 MLD) state-of-the-art ETP. To enable complete Reverse Osmosis (RO) recycling, the wastewater must undergo total biological breakdown of organic and inorganic toxins before reaching MBR and RO membranes.
The Technical Challenge & Risk
High Chemical Toxicity: Raw baseline of 6.5 ppm Cyanide (CN), 350 ppm Thiocyanate (SCN), and 250 ppm Phenol.
Ammonia Spikes: Degradation of thiocyanates releases additional free ammonia (NH₃-N), pushing total nitrogen up to 400 ppm.
Low BOD:COD Ratio: Organic carbon availability for biological denitrification was severely constrained.
Membrane Fouling Risk: Incomplete toxic breakdown rapidly fouls downstream MBR and RO units, triggering severe operational downtime.
2. Treatment Process Flow Diagram
3. Specialised Solution: BactaServe Anaerobic
Project Site
Ready to Solve Complex Effluent Toxicity Issues?
Let our bio-engineers analyze your coke oven or chemical effluent parameters to design a tailored strain-selection and dosing protocol.
Step 1: Share your inlet COD, BOD, and flow parameters.
Step 2: Our bio-engineers analyze your process flow diagram.
Step 3: Receive a custom BactaServe dosing protocol with performance guidance.