In the production and processing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pieces, the washing, steaming, extraction, and equipment floor washing processes generate a large amount of production wastewater. This type of wastewater differs from ordinary domestic sewage, characterized by high COD, high color, high suspended solids, and large fluctuations in water quality. It is rich in recalcitrant organic matter such as plant fibers, tannins, polysaccharides, and flavonoids, making it difficult for conventional wastewater treatment equipment to completely purify. This often results in excessive effluent color and persistently high COD levels, leading to failure to pass environmental inspections and routine emissions exceeding standards. Therefore, selecting the right specialized TCM decoction piece wastewater treatment equipment, coupled with targeted compliance processes, is crucial for compliant production in decoction piece factories. This article details the key points of equipment selection and solutions for achieving compliance with standards for challenging wastewater.
DIEN Wastewater Equipment Manufacturer
To select the right equipment, it is essential to first understand the difficulties in treating TCM decoction piece wastewater to avoid blindly choosing the wrong model. Wastewater from the production of medicinal herbs is dark in color, often appearing yellowish-brown or dark tea-colored, containing a large number of stable chromophores, making it difficult to completely decolorize using conventional sedimentation processes. The COD concentration fluctuates wildly, with the COD in extraction wastewater soaring to thousands or even tens of thousands of milligrams per liter, indicating poor biodegradability. Simultaneously, the water contains a large amount of light medicinal residue and colloidal impurities, making sedimentation difficult and easily clogging equipment and pipes. Many companies choose ordinary integrated wastewater treatment equipment, which can only treat simple domestic sewage. When faced with high-concentration organic wastewater from traditional Chinese medicine, it is prone to problems such as biochemical system collapse, sludge bulking, and unstable effluent, failing to meet the requirements of the "Water Pollutant Discharge Standard for Pharmaceutical Industry of Traditional Chinese Medicine".
Therefore, when purchasing wastewater treatment equipment for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, the core consideration should be process adaptability; generic equipment should be avoided. High-quality specialized equipment must employ a combined process of "pretreatment + biochemical treatment + deep decolorization and degradation" to adapt to the complex water quality of the decoction piece wastewater. The first step, multi-stage pretreatment, uses a combination of screens, coagulation flotation, and sedimentation tanks to quickly intercept pharmaceutical residues, plant fibers, and suspended colloids. Specialized decolorizing agents are then added to initially reduce wastewater color and suspended solids, alleviating pressure on the downstream biological treatment system. The second step, core biological treatment, employs a hydrolysis acidification + contact oxidation process to effectively decompose large molecular organic matter in the water, efficiently degrade COD, and adapt to production conditions with large fluctuations in water quality, ensuring stable operation of the biological system.
Addressing the core pain points of high color and persistent, difficult-to-degrade COD, advanced treatment processes are crucial for achieving compliance. After pretreatment and biological treatment, wastewater may still retain small amounts of stubborn pigments and organic matter. At this point, advanced oxidation, activated carbon adsorption, and ozone decolorization advanced treatment units are needed to target and destroy the color-producing molecular structure, thoroughly removing residual color and trace amounts of COD, solving problems such as yellowing and poor clarity, and ensuring clear, compliant effluent. When purchasing equipment, careful selection of configuration is essential. Low-end equipment omitting advanced decolorization units may seem inexpensive, but it cannot consistently meet standards and poses long-term environmental risks. When selecting equipment for a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) processing plant, practicality and stability must be considered, taking into account the plant's production conditions. Most TCM processing plants operate intermittently, with wastewater discharge and concentration fluctuating with production batches. Therefore, integrated wastewater treatment equipment with strong shock load resistance and flexible start-stop capabilities is necessary to handle intermittent discharge. The equipment should ideally be made of corrosion-resistant carbon steel, resistant to acids and alkalis, and suitable for environments with long-term immersion in organic wastewater, extending its service life. Simultaneously, a fully automated intelligent control system enables automatic dosing, aeration, and sludge discharge, eliminating the need for dedicated personnel and reducing labor costs, thus meeting the needs of small and medium-sized TCM processing plants.
Integrated sewage treatment equipment
Finally, price should not be the sole consideration when purchasing equipment; the manufacturer's experience in specialized projects is crucial. TCM wastewater treatment is a niche water treatment field, and ordinary environmental protection companies often lack practical industry experience. Inappropriate process combinations can easily lead to project rework and rectification. Professional source manufacturers are familiar with the characteristics of wastewater from traditional Chinese medicine processing. They can customize modular treatment solutions based on a company's daily discharge volume, raw water concentration, and local discharge standards. This ensures long-term stable compliance with discharge standards while optimizing equipment energy consumption, saving floor space, and avoiding resource waste.
The core of treating high-COD and high-color wastewater from traditional Chinese medicine processing is to abandon general-purpose wastewater treatment equipment and select specially customized treatment equipment. Through a combination of graded treatment, precise decolorization, and efficient COD reduction processes, the problem of excessive wastewater discharge is completely solved, helping companies achieve compliant discharge and stable production.
