Microorganisms employed in the removal of contaminants from wastewater of iron and steel industries

Sustainability analysis of the use of natural gas in the iron and steel industry

In this study, using natural gas instead of coke gas in the reheating furnace in a steelmaking company is investigated in terms of economic, social, and environmental impacts. A sample projection is prepared, and economic analyses are conducted in line with the production plan target for future planning periods of 144 months. The natural gas usage increases the production quantity by 914 tonnes and allows the company to produce 5,979,334 kWh of additional electric power from the metallurgical gases monthly. In the economic analysis, we use engineering economics techniques to examine the economic impacts of the modernization investment for reheating furnaces. Accordingly, a positive return for each month shows the feasibility of the renovation project. The self-paying time of the investment is calculated as a short period of 11 months. Besides, the social and environmental impacts are notable; the renovation project decreases occupational health and safety risks by using natural gas as a substitute fuel, preventing a potential explosion or poisoning risk in the production, storage, and distribution. The renovation project decreases the global warming potential of blast furnace gas constituents and carbon emissions by 0.84% per month.

Treatment technologies for sustainable management of wastewater from iron and steel industry - a review

The iron and steel industries are a vital driving force for propelling the nation's economic growth. In 2019, to boost the economy and to achieve the target of five trillion economies by 2024, government of India entails investments in several steel-related sectors. However, since their inception, steel and iron industries have been coupled with extensive environmental pollution and vast water utilization. Discharged effluent from the different units of plant loaded with toxic, hazardous, and unused components which have various harmful environmental and health impacts and need treatment. In the present review, the pollutants treatment efficiency of various treatment techniques, effluent volume product quality, and various measures for sound management of wastewater are reviewed. As most conventional wastewater treatment methods are not sufficient for complete reclamation and remediation of effluent, the potential of more advanced treatment such as membrane separation and membrane bioreactors is relatively untouched. In the end, this paper concluded that the integrated system combining chemical treatment with membrane separation can ensure a worthy rate of pollutant removal. Reuse and effective management of wastewater with process intensification guarantee commercial viability and eco-friendliness.

Mini Review: Advances in 2-Haloacid Dehalogenases

The 2-haloacid dehalogenases (EC 3.8.1.X) are industrially important enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in 2-haloalkanoic acids, releasing halogen ions and producing corresponding 2-hydroxyl acids. These enzymes are of particular interest in environmental remediation and environmentally friendly synthesis of optically pure chiral compounds due to their ability to degrade a wide range of halogenated compounds with astonishing efficiency for enantiomer resolution. The 2-haloacid dehalogenases have been extensively studied with regard to their biochemical characterization, protein crystal structures, and catalytic mechanisms. This paper comprehensively reviews the source of isolation, classification, protein structures, reaction mechanisms, biochemical properties, and application of 2-haloacid dehalogenases; current trends and avenues for further development have also been included.