Once you have analysed the characteristics of your wastewater, the next step is to plan your fish industry wastewater treatment plant design. To achieve the optimal results, a number of factors must be considered, such as the volume of wastewater, the level of contaminants, discharge regulations, and operating and maintenance costs. It’s critical to choose the right process technology to ensure your wastewater treatment plant operates effectively and efficiently in the long run.
Fish industry wastewater treatment plant design
Ask us any question
Biological and chemical-physical treatment of wastewater from fish processing companies
This page gives you an in-depth insight into the most important process technologies for wastewater treatment in the fish processing industry. In addition, we give you a detailed overview of how to put together your customised wastewater treatment solution. With our support, you are guaranteed the best process for treating your individual wastewater.
Discharge options for fish industry wastewater
Fish processing companies have several options for disposing of their wastewater. They can discharge it into a public sewer system, directly into a receiving body of water, or even reuse it for specific purposes. The form of discharge into the public sewer system is regulated by local authorities, and pre-treatment is usually required. Coarse components, such as scales, bones, and fins, must be removed through screening devices such as drum screens or screw screens. Direct discharge into the environment, such as for irrigation, requires higher standards of purification achieved through multi-stage treatment. Choosing the right system is vital for the overall efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. A comprehensive overview of options can be found in the provided reference.
Pollutants in fish industry wastewater
The pollutant load in wastewater from fish processing companies is mostly homogeneous, as the wastewater is mainly mixed water. All wastewater generated at the various processing stations converges in a collection tank. Nevertheless, variations can occur if, for example, the amount or type of fish processed changes, if different cleaning chemicals are used or if the fat content of the fish changes during a fishing season.
Pre-treatment of fish industry wastewater
Screening is a crucial first step in pre-treating wastewater from fish processing companies, making it suitable for discharge into the public sewer system. However, municipalities often charge fees based on the level of pollution, making further pre-treatment steps cost-effective.
Receive Our Newsletter
The screw screen and drum screen are two different screening systems that each have their own screening process. The drum screen consists of a rotating drum that separates solids from wastewater by passing the solids through its mesh. The mesh size can be customized based on the type and level of contaminants in the wastewater. A screening screw is a rotating screw that conveys wastewater and solids through a screen. The water passes through while the solids are collected in a container. Both systems are suitable for different applications and flow rates.
Chemical-physical treatment of fish industry wastewater
For the fish processing industry, a dissolved air flotation system is usually a good solution. It is specially designed to remove almost all suspended matter from the wastewater by binding it and separating it. Flocculants and coagulants are usually used to bind the suspended matter. Beforehand, the system supersaturates the wastewater with air. When it enters the flotation tank, the air bubbles mix with the wastewater from and rises. In the process, the air bubbles capture the flocculated, non-suspended substances and separates them from the clear water.
In the fish processing industry, non-suspended solids are fats, oils, and blood. Since dissolved air flotation is a highly efficient purification step, it can remove up to 99 per cent of these substances from the wastewater. A more detailed overview of the ClearFox® DAF’s cleaning performance can be found below.
We have gained many years of experience in the fish processing industry. Therefore, we have adapted our flotation system to this special type of wastewater. The wastewater treatment and the discharge of the non-suspended substances is therefore particularly effective. Therefore, a ClearFox® DAF is an outstanding solution to either pre-treat the wastewater for direct discharge or to treat it for indirect discharge. This is also regularly certified by PIA GMbH, an international, independent testing institute for wastewater technology. Numerous certificates attest to the outstanding cleaning performance of our flotation systems.
Biological treatment of fish industry wastewater
For low suspended matter concentrations in wastewater, biological treatment is the best option for the fish processing industry. In combination with dissolved air flotation, the treated wastewater is suitable for direct discharge to the environment. Alternatively, biological treatment can also serve as a stand-alone solution and bring the wastewater to direct discharge quality, depending on the quality of the wastewater and the type of contaminants.
Biological treatment of wastewater from the fish processing industry is a natural process that requires no chemicals at all. The microorganisms responsible for wastewater treatment are those that occur naturally in the wastewater. Since there is a particularly large amount of organic pollution in wastewater from fish-processing companies, biological systems are particularly well suited for treatment.
The microorganisms responsible for wastewater treatment respire the organic contaminants. Some processes treat the wastewater without the addition of air – so-called anaerobic processes – other processes require an additional air supply – so-called aerobic processes. Not all processes are suitable for wastewater from the fish industry. We have gained the best experience with the cascaded fixed-bed technology, an aerobic process.
For wastewater treatment using fixed-bed technology to be successful, several factors are necessary:
Perfect growth material
The growth material is crucial to promote the growth of microorganisms. The specific surface area plays an important role. The larger it is, the more microorganisms can colonise it and the more thorough the cleaning can be. How thoroughly the cleaning must take place depends on the amount of wastewater, the contaminant load carried along and the cleaning objective. The growth area can therefore be up to 300 m²/m³. Cascades connected in series with an ever-increasing growth area can also be a solution for optimal cleaning.
Fixed aeration intervals
The microorganisms that settle on the fixed-bed material need air to respire the contamination. Therefore, precisely defined aeration intervals are important to provide the microorganisms with the amount of air they need. The higher the dirt load, the more air must be added.
Good mixing
A major advantage of aeration is the good and constant mixing of the wastewater in the fixed-bed reactor. Since the aeration modules are located at the bottom of the reactor, they prevent impurities from settling easily. Good mixing facilitates biodegradation.
Coordinated treatment time
Once the biological cleaning capacity has been fully ramped up, the treatment time, depending on the contaminant load, biological mass, and aeration capacity, is decisive in achieving an optimal cleaning result. We adapt the treatment time individually to your wastewater, so that you are guaranteed to comply with all required discharge values.
Ask us which process technology is best for your fish industry
Biological wastewater treatment using fixed-bed technology is an outstanding solution for the treatment of wastewater from fish-processing companies, as it breaks down COD, BOD5, nitrogen and ammonium particularly reliably. In addition, it is very easy for us to remove phosphorus from the wastewater. An overview of the purification standards we have achieved in the fish processing industry can be found in table.
The outstanding cleaning performance of our FBBR system is regularly part of numerous tests by independent testing institutes. Therefore, we can be sure that we offer one of the most efficient systems for biological wastewater treatment on the market.
How to choose the right process technology
Get a free, no obligation site survey and consultation
Our goal is to develop a wastewater treatment plant for you that is precisely tailored to your needs, works efficiently, and has the best price-performance ratio for you. To achieve this, we work hand in hand with you to know exactly your situation, wishes and requirements.
We have an in-house laboratory run by leading chemists. By analysing your wastewater samples, we determine the pollution load and can directly select the best treatment system.
This service is completely free of obligation for you.
The analysis process is completed within one week and is available to all companies worldwide. This gives you a 100% guarantee that the solutions we propose will meet your limits.
Would you like a non-binding consultation or a laboratory analysis of your wastewater? Then do not hesitate to contact us. We guarantee a quick response within one working day.
