Robust technology monitors the most challenging wastewaters – Nutraceutical Business Review

Report on Inline Refractometer Technology and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Advanced Monitoring for Sustainable Industrial Processes

The implementation of advanced process monitoring technologies, such as Vaisala’s inline refractometers, is critical for industries aiming to align their operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report details the application of inline refractive index (RI) measurement technology in industrial wastewater management and its direct impact on achieving key sustainability targets, particularly those related to water quality, industrial innovation, and responsible production.

2.0 Technology Overview: Vaisala Polaris Inline Refractometers

Vaisala’s Polaris refractometers provide real-time, in-line measurement of liquid concentrations. This technology is instrumental for process control and optimization across various industrial applications.

• Operating Principle: Measures the refractive index of liquids to determine the concentration of dissolved components directly within pipelines and tanks.
• Robust Design: Engineered to function reliably in challenging industrial environments, unaffected by particles, bubbles, crystals, or coloration. This resilience is crucial for monitoring untreated industrial effluent.
• Key Applications:
  1. Process control in evaporation, distillation, fermentation, and blending.
  2. Wastewater monitoring to detect spills or leaks in real-time.
  3. Clean-in-Place (CIP) optimization.

3.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The deployment of this technology provides a direct pathway for industries to contribute to several SDGs.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
• Contribution: The refractometers enable immediate detection of process leaks or spills that increase the chemical or organic load (strength) of wastewater. This allows for rapid corrective action, preventing the discharge of high-strength effluent and directly contributing to the reduction of water pollution from industrial sources.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
• Contribution: The technology represents an adoption of clean and environmentally sound technology. It allows industries to retrofit their monitoring systems to improve resource efficiency and minimize their environmental footprint, fostering sustainable industrialization.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
• Contribution: By providing real-time data on effluent content, the system helps identify the root cause of material loss. This enables process optimization to prevent product loss into the waste stream, thereby reducing waste at the source and promoting more responsible production patterns.

4.0 Case Study: A U.S. Food and Beverage Cooperative

Problem Statement

A large manufacturing cooperative faced challenges in its wastewater treatment process due to high variability in the sugar content of its effluent. This variability led to elevated Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, increasing the risk of exceeding regulatory limits and incurring surcharges.

Solution and Outcomes

A Vaisala refractometer was installed in the effluent line upstream of the treatment plant. The real-time data generated delivered significant benefits aligned with corporate sustainability objectives.

1. Immediate Anomaly Detection (Supports SDG 6): Spikes in sugar content were detected instantly, allowing for immediate remedial action to protect the treatment plant’s performance and ensure the quality of the final effluent.
2. Root Cause Analysis (Supports SDG 12): Data on effluent spikes enabled staff to diagnose and prevent the sources of material loss, directly contributing to waste reduction and more efficient use of resources.
3. Financial and Operational Optimization (Supports SDG 9): The cooperative achieved six-figure cost avoidance at a single facility by preventing material loss and avoiding non-compliance surcharges. This demonstrates a clear link between sustainable practices and economic performance.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues and solutions that are directly connected to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The core focus of the article is on wastewater management and improving the quality of industrial effluent before it is discharged, which is central to SDG 6.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article showcases an innovative technology (Vaisala’s inline refractometers) being used to upgrade industrial processes, making them more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally sound.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The case study demonstrates a company adopting a more responsible production pattern by managing its waste, reducing material loss, and preventing pollution.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of wastewater treatment and industrial efficiency, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
     
     Explanation: The case study focuses on a manufacturing cooperative’s need to “improve wastewater treatment to lower the strength of final effluent.” The Vaisala refractometer helps achieve this by monitoring sugar content (a pollutant affecting BOD levels) in real-time, enabling immediate remedial action and preventing the release of high-strength wastewater. This directly contributes to reducing water pollution from industrial sources.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
     
     Explanation: The article presents the Vaisala refractometer as an “environmentally sound technology” that allows the cooperative to retrofit its wastewater management system. The outcome is increased sustainability and resource efficiency, evidenced by the ability to “reduce material loss and optimise its operational procedures.”

3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
     
     Explanation: The technology facilitates the “environmentally sound management” of industrial wastewater (a waste product). By providing immediate notification of spills or leaks, it helps the company significantly reduce the release of pollutants (sugar) into the water system, thus minimizing its environmental impact.
   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
     
     Explanation: The article states that real-time data on sugar spikes “enabled staff to diagnose the root cause, so that it could be prevented in the future.” This focus on prevention is a key aspect of reducing waste generation. The resulting “reduction of material loss” is a direct measure of waste reduction at the source.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

While the article does not mention official UN SDG indicators, it implies several practical metrics that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

1. For Target 6.3 (Improve water quality):

   • Implied Indicator: Strength of final effluent / Sugar content / BOD levels.
     
     Explanation: The article explicitly states that the cooperative’s goal was to “lower the strength of final effluent” and that the key problem was the “variability in the sugar content of the effluent, which substantially affected BOD levels.” These are quantifiable measures of water quality and pollution.

2. For Target 9.4 (Sustainable industries and resource efficiency):

   • Implied Indicator: Reduction in material loss.
     
     Explanation: The article notes that a key benefit for the cooperative was the ability to “reduce material loss.” This directly measures an increase in resource-use efficiency, as the raw material (sugar) is kept within the production process instead of being lost as waste.
   • Implied Indicator: Cost avoidance/reduction of surcharges.
     
     Explanation: The “six-figure cost avoidance” and the ability to “avoid surcharges” are financial indicators that reflect improved operational and environmental performance, a key goal of sustainable industrial processes.

3. For Target 12.5 (Reduce waste generation):

   • Implied Indicator: Frequency and volume of sugar spikes in effluent.
     
     Explanation: The technology allows for the immediate detection of “spikes in sugar content.” Tracking the reduction in the frequency and magnitude of these spikes over time would serve as a direct indicator of waste prevention and reduction.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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