Solvent contaminated rags

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I have a US-based client that originates large quantities of toluene and acetone-contaminated rags used to clean equipment - several hundred pounds of them a month.  

At present, those rags are then incinerated, which is both expensive and undesirable from a GHG point of view, and so the client is looking to wash and recycle the rags.  

The issue of course is contaminating wastewater from the plant.  The rags do not have free liquid, and as such are legal under EPA rules to launder, but they smell of the solvents and they would no doubt require the waste water to be tested before the wastewater treatment agency would accept the waste.  My question - what is the best way to have that testing done?  Are there in-line sensors that would detect this stuff or would it require lab tests?

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7 Answers

  1. I would be interested in knowing what other contaminants are on the rags that also come out during the cleaning process.  Have you looked into using less toxic or non-toxic solvents instead of toluene and acetone?   (e.g. D-limonene).  How about steam cleaning?  Have you considered degreasing parts using a dry absorbent instead of a solvent.  I have some ideas on how that might work.

  3. Hello Forwarding these chemically polluted fabrics into the waste water is a tragedy for humanity and the environment. the reason?

    wastewater is the means used by humanity to get rid of all that it creates as pollution without wanting to invest a penny to destroy it. Humanity therefore does not realize that since sanitation does not have the means to do the dirty work that humanity does not want to do and does not know how to do, sanitation does not bother him either, it transfers all the pollution from the waste water to the environment.

    which means that this pollution is found in the water we drink, in the air we breathe, in agricultural production, our food, in the surface aquatic spaces in which we bathe.

    humanity is slowly poisoning itself every day with its pollutions which it does not clean from the water which it has used to get rid of them.

    Question: Why don't we clean the waste water? with what and how?

    In 2023 no technology is able to clean wastewater. the filtration process retains a small part of the suspended solids, the dissolved chemical pollution is indestructible.

    for example: trying to destroy the biochemical pollution of urine.

    No recycling of anything let alone chemical pollution can be done without cleaning

    Bonjour  Faire suivre ces tissus imbibés de pollution chimique dans l'eau usée est une tragédie pour l'humanité et l'environnement. la raison? 

    l'eau usée est le moyen utilisé par l'humanité pour se débarrasser de tout ce qu'elle créé comme pollution sans vouloir investir un centime pour le détruire. L'humanité ne se rend donc pas compte que comme l'assainissement ne possède pas de moyens pour faire le sale travail que l'humanité ne veut pas faire et ne sait pas faire, l'assainissement ne s'embête pas lui on plus , il transfère toute la pollution de l'eau usée dans l'environnement. 

    ce qui fait que cette pollution se retrouve dans l'eau que nous buvons, dans l'air que nous respirons, dans la production agronomique, notre alimentation, dans les espaces aquatiques de surface dans lesquels nous nous baignons. 

    l'humanité s'empoisonne lentement tous les jours de ses pollutions qu'elle ne nettoie pas de l'eau qui lui  a servi à s'en débarrasser.

    Question : pourquoi ne nettoyons nous pas l'eau usée.? avec quoi et comment?

    En 2023 aucune technologie n'est en mesure de nettoyer l'eau usée. le processus de filtration retient une petite partie des matières en suspension, la pollution chimique dissoute est indestructible.

    pour exemple : essayer de détruire la pollution bio chimique de l'urine.

    Aucun recyclage de quoi que ce soit et encore moins de la pollution chimique ne peut se faire sans un nettoyage 

     

    1 Comment

    1. Well, it's true, there is no mechanical technology that can clean up wastewater 100%, an integrated natural method must be used, which really removes microorganisms and their carcasses and removes heavy metals and their derivatives. 

  4. What is clear is the right way to recycle naturally. this can be done with green ion technology. If the volume is large, you can contact me, if the volume is small, the recycling work cannot catch up with the fixed cost factor. 

  5. Larsen Engineers, based in Rochester NY 14623 ( ram@larsen-engineers.com) 585-303-2417 cell has extensive experience with nature-based Treatment or bioremediation systems that we have used for decades on brownfields, contaminated soils or Groundwater under Gas stations. Get in touch for details. We could do a zoom call to better understand the volume of Laundry wash water, the number of days of operations, and how much land area is available at the Washing /processing facility. Good Luck with your project 

  6. BTEX  and other volatile compounds in water are analyzed using lab tests. I know of no reliable substitute.

    Having worked in the laundry industry and wastewater treatment industry for many years, I can tell you that the levels of BTEX can quickly exceed the allowable discharge limits if you are not careful. There are specialty laundry companies in the US that focus on this, and do it in ways that comply with environmental regulations. There are methods to remove the solvents from the towels before they enter the water phase. All too much perhaps to talk about here so let me know if you would like to discuss by phone or zoom. Feel free to text  or email me. Gerard Van Gils Tel 727-560-7899 gerard.vangils@gmail.com  

  7. Neither are very toxic but they are flammable and VOCs, so inhalation should be avoided.   How frequent would you need to sample? If you have access to a  lab, a simple GC analysis using retention time would be quick and sufficient to quantify. No need for GC/MS, There are also wet kits on the market for acetone and toluene sampling. Your NPDES permit would specify.