Placement Report (final)
- 1. Placement Report 2014 Edward Hargreaves Environmental Science (BSc)
- 2. 1 Table of Contents 1 Company Overview 1.1 Solvay 1.2 Warrington Site 2 Roles & Responsibilities 2.1 General 2.2 Groundwater Abstraction & In-situ Bioremediation 2.2.1 Overview 2.2.2 Maintenance 2.2.3 Monitoring 2.3 Annual Groundwater Well Sampling 2.3.1 Sampling 2.3.2 Laboratory Analysis 2.3.3 Data Analysis 2.4 Weekly Environmental Report 2.5 Dust Monitoring 2.6 Piezometer Sampling 2.6.1 Sampling 2.6.2 Analysis 2.7 Weekly HSE Meeting 2.8 River Outfall Monitoring 2.9 Site Protection and Monitoring Programme 2.10 Effluent Analysis 2.11 Miscellaneous Tasks 2.11.1 Waste Disposal 2.11.2 Pneumatic Extraction System Installation 3 Personal Development 4 Acknowledgements
- 3. 2 1 Company Overview 1.1 Solvay Solvay is a Global company founded in 1863 that manufactures a wide variety of chemicals and plastics. In 2013 Solvay achieved net sales of €12.4 billion and €2.1 billion EBITDA. The company has 111 sites with a presence in 55 countries employing nearly 30,000 people. Solvay’s products reach a diverse range of end markets including consumer goods, automotive, energy, environment, construction, agriculture, electronics and paper. 1.2 Warrington Site Solvay’s Warrington site is a Top-tier COMAH (Control of Major Accidental Hazards Regulation) site that manufactures Sodium Percarbonate Monohydrate (PCS) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). PCS is a core component in washing powder and H2O2 has a wide variety of applications but is predominantly used as a bleaching agent in the textile, pulp and paper industries. The Warrington site is the sole producer of H2O2 in the UK and is one of two sites in the world licensed to sell a veterinary grade of H2O2 which is branded as Paramove®. Paramove® is used to treat lice infestation and gill disease in farmed salmon. The site has an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency for operation of its H2O2, PCS & combustion processes and is certified to ISO 14001 for it’s environmental management system. 2 Roles & Responsibilities 2.1 General Role The core responsibility of this placement is to support the Health, Safety & Environment Department through operation of the bioremediation system and monitoring the site’s groundwater. This responsibility involves roles such as groundwater sampling, maintenance of the in-situ bioremediation system, river outfall monitoring and carrying out a variety of environmentally associated tasks assigned by the HSE Specialist. This report briefly describes each of these roles while highlighting the skills applied and developed throughout the placement.
- 4. 3 2.2 Groundwater Abstraction & In-situ Bioremediation 38% Crude H2O2 KNO3 AO Distribution Ring Main Pi TBM Trench Fi Infiltration Well Auto Air Relief Valve Pump Status to DCS Flow to DCS (Typical 10Ltr/hr) (typical 1.5Ltr/hr) (typical 4 m3/hr) O2 release valve Kick Back line Figure 1: Bioremediation System 2.2.1 Overview The historical discharge of chemicals from operations on the Warrington site has caused a residue of soil and groundwater contamination. After a programme of site investigations determined the nature and extent of the contamination, a groundwater remediation scheme was developed. The purpose of this scheme is to contain and remediate the affected areas through groundwater abstraction and bioremediation. The bioremediation system illustrated in Figure 1 involves continual dosing of H2O2 containing phosphate and potassium nitrate (KNO3) into 10 infiltration wells situated across the most contaminated zone. Groundwater is simultaneously abstracted in balance with infiltration in order to ensure hydraulic containment of the contamination. Hydraulic containment is crucial on this site as it is located between the River Mersey Estuary and the Manchester Ship Canal. The abstraction water is discharged to sewer and monitored periodically. The purpose of this form of groundwater remediation is to accelerate the natural process in which the contamination is broken down by microorganisms. The H2O2 decomposes in the groundwater releasing oxygen that acts as an electron acceptor in the chemical reaction involving the breakdown of the contamination by the microbes. Phosphate & KNO3 are vital nutrient sources for the microorganisms that increases their activity, therefore, further speeding up the breakdown of the contamination.
- 5. 4 2.2.2 Maintenance Due to the continuous operation of this system, maintenance must be carried out on a regular basis. The weekly tasks include; flushing infiltration points (figure 1) to clear oxygen build up caused by decomposing H2O2, adjusting flow rates to maintain the desired infiltration rate, refilling bulk chemical storage tanks, manually maintaining dosing & extraction pumps and coordinating with Solvay’s maintenance team to make electrical repairs when necessary. 2.2.3 Monitoring In order to avoid compromising the effectiveness of the remediation it is necessary to monitor the system closely on a regular basis. This involves logging flow rates & tank levels necessary for calculating the AO plot extraction/infiltration balance and the tonnage of treatment chemicals injected into the groundwater. These calculations are made using Excel spread sheets and resulting figures are then reviewed by the HSE Specialist. 2.3 Annual Groundwater Well Sampling In order to assess the current degree of groundwater contamination and thus the effectiveness of the remediation it is necessary to sample an array of 188 groundwater wells across the site. 2.3.1 Sampling The wells are dipped to determine well water elevations, which are used to calculate purge volumes but also to provide Solvay’s environmental consultant (Geosyntec) with data necessary for assessing the flow regime of the shallow groundwater. Wells are purged three times their volume to ensure that stagnant well water is not sampled. Purge times are calculated using the flow rate of the pump and well water elevations. Parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, temperature and oxidation redox potential are monitored during and after purging to ensure that the parameters have stabilized thus confirming that the well is completely purged. Subsequent to purging, a sample is taken in a PET bottle and stored in a refrigerator. The groundwater sampling techniques described above are key methods employed in groundwater monitoring.
- 6. 5 2.3.2 Laboratory Analysis The most crucial parameter analysed on the groundwater samples is total organic carbon (TOC). This particular parameter is of importance because it is a key indicator of the concentration of the organic contaminants. The TOC is measured with a Shimadzu carbon analyser, which requires preparation of sample vials, producing standard test vials and setting up the software’s sample tables appropriately. pH is measured again in the laboratory with a more accurate in-situ probe and chloride is also measured via a titrimetric laboratory analysis. 2.3.3 Data Analysis Once the results of the analysis are obtained, they are logged on a database containing historical data from 1995 to present. Current data is compared to previous years and if results are unexpectedly dissimilar then re-sampling is considered in discussion with the HSE Specialist. Subsequent to data logging, analysis is carried out to determine the degree of reduction of the contamination. Averages and trends are calculated with the aim of determining how effective the remediation is in comparison to previous years and how it might be improved in the future. This task further developed large data set analysis which is an essential skill required in the third year dissertation. 2.4 Weekly Environmental Report In order to keep site managers informed of their environmental performance, a weekly environmental report is distributed each week. This report is comprises a range of spread sheets each displaying data such as TOC of effluent per tonne of production or number of heavy goods vehicle movements during sensitive hours. It is the responsibility of this role to update these spread sheets and tables ensuring that all data is present and displayed appropriately. If data is missing or unusual then liaison with the laboratory is undertaken. The report is distributed to site managers via e-mail and if there are any issues such as missing data due to the failure of analytical equipment then this must be effectively communicated. The key skills employed in this task are Excel proficiency and written & verbal communication.
- 7. 6 Figure 2: AspenTech Live Data Feed 2.5 Dust Monitoring This task is carried out twice a year in accordance with the site’s Environmental Permit monitoring requirements. It involves the sampling of 11 monitoring points and requires coordination to ensure that the appropriate processes/machinery is operating during sampling. Live data feeds from Aspentech software (Figure 2) are used to determine when machinery is operational. Data is recorded and compared to historical values, unusual figures are reported to the HSE Specialist. 2.6 Piezometer Sampling 2.6.1 Sampling Another company present onsite called Perstorp utilises Solvay’s array of groundwater abstraction wells for their water consumption. As they are pumped, the abstraction wells run the risk of causing deeper saline water to be drawn up into the shallower non-saline groundwater via up-coning. It is a requirement of Solvay’s abstraction license to carry out quarterly sampling of four piezometer wells (Figure 3) ranging in depth to ensure that the natural state of the shallow groundwater is not compromised. This role carries out the sampling of the piezometer wells using similar techniques to the methods employed in the groundwater sampling. However, due to the great depth of the piezometer wells, a larger pump is used and purging time is significantly longer. Therefore, more caution is taken to ensure that the wells are fully purged prior to sampling. This is accomplished through calculations on an Excel spreadsheet.
- 8. 7 Figure 3: Piezometer well depths & locations 2.6.2 Analysis The key parameter considered in the analysis of the piezometer well water is chloride as the purpose of this exercise is to ensure the production well is not drawing up saline water into the shallow groundwater. Internal analysis is carried out on the samples for good reference, however, due to the prominence of the threat to the shallow groundwater; external analysis is also carried out. Therefore samples must be appropriately prepared and distributed to an external laboratory. This task requires effective coordination and communication skills to ensure that samples are analysed prior to expiry. 2.7 Weekly HSE Meeting It is essential for an environmentally permitted on ISO 14001 certified site to regularly review key environmental figures. Therefore, a weekly meeting of the HSE Department occurs through which this role is assigned the task of reporting key figures. These figures include river outfall data, HGV sensitive movements, bioremediation system operation stats and dust emissions from the PCS plant. This role has the responsibility of collating and reviewing the data before calculating trends and averages that are presented in the report and delivered verbally to the attendees of the meeting. It is important to draw attention to significant or unusual data that may require action. Significant figures that require action include breaches of consent of parameters on the river outfall or PCS emissions. The fundamental skills practised through this task include data collation and verbal communication.
- 9. 8 Figure 4: River Outfall Monitoring Station 2.8 River Outfall Monitoring It is important to keep a record of environmental figures that is updated on a regular basis so that it can be monitored by the HSE Specialist and referred to with ease by management and auditors. This role has the responsibility of updating this record weekly by collating data from numerous spread sheets. These figures must be logged and then reviewed so that any issues or irregularities can be identified and acted upon. The particular record described in this section is a summation of key figures related to the river outfall monitoring station (Figure 4). The river outfall discharges waste water into the river Mersey estuary so parameters such as pH and TOC are strictly controlled. Breach of consent for any parameters requires notification to the Environment Agency within 24 hours of the event. Therefore, review of the data must be carried out on a daily basis. Any issues are reported immediately to the HSE Specialist so that the EA can be notified. 2.9 Site Protection and Monitoring Programme (SPMP) A Formal groundwater Site Protection and Monitoring Programme is currently in place as a requirement of Solvay’s and Perstorp’s Environmental Permits to demonstrate the permitted processes are not polluting the groundwater. This role was assigned with the task of carrying out groundwater sampling for this programme. Training by Geosyntec, Solvay’s environmental consultant, was carried out due to the more precise nature of the sampling required for this programme. The sampling carried out involved using bailers to fill sample bottles to avoid cross contamination between wells and samples were also taken in a number of different containers each allocated for varying types of analysis. Each well was allocated a set of analysis depending on the well location in relation to historical contamination and processes. The samples were distributed to an external laboratory for analysis which required the completion of chain of custody paperwork. Due to the large number of samples and analysis parameters, this task demanded time management and coordination. 2.10 Effluent Analysis The plant’s effluent is discharged to the sewer, which is consented by United Utilities. United Utilities have limits on a set of parameters of that are monitored daily to avoid breaching consent. However, on
- 10. a quarterly basis samples are sent out for more comprehensive analysis. This task involves coordinating with the Solvay laboratory to make up samples for distribution to an external laboratory test house and Solvay’s headquarters in Brussels. Samples are allocated a maximum holding times so ensuring that the samples arrive at the test houses on time is essential. Once the laboratory has provided the results, the data must be collated and then reviewed by the HSE specialist. 9 Figure 5: Pneumatic Pump 2.11 Miscellaneous Tasks 2.11.1 Waste Disposal Due to the nature of the processes on site, there is a considerable amount of waste produced, some of which is Hazardous. The HSE Specialist is primarily responsible for dealing with the site’s waste so this role is allocated a variety of jobs involving waste disposal. Waste is electronically logged and filed on a regular basis. It is essential that this is done appropriately because the records are used for billing purposes and it is a requirement that they are kept for a defined period of time. Manual waste disposal/sorting/labelling is also carried out by this role, typically when waste storage containers are being altered or relocated. 2.11.2 Pneumatic Extraction System Installation Due to persistent failing of the electric extraction pumps on the AO plot, the decision was made by the HSE Specialist to replace the electric pumps with pneumatic ones (Figure 5). The primary reason for doing this is that it puts more control of the maintenance of the system into the hands of this role, which is not competent to carry out maintenance on electric pumps. Before the system could be replaced, however, it was necessary to justify the new system to management. Therefore, this role undertook cost analysis of the proposed system by developing spread sheets and charts illustrating the benefits of the pneumatic system.
- 11. Charts were created using calculations of the cost estimates of operation and maintenance over a 5 year period and the cost analysis showed a payback period of just under 2 years. This task required Excel proficiency and also the ability to mathematically interrelate multiple variables. Subsequent to approval, this role undertook the manual installation of the system. This involved engineering the design of the system in discussion with the HSE Specialist and determining all the fittings required. Numerous fittings for both the compressed air lines and extraction water pipes were required thus one pump was initially set up and trialled prior to the procurement of the remaining fittings. This task required both planning and manual installation skills. 10 3 Personal Development This placement has been an opportunity of great value in terms of personal development for a student aspiring to work in the environmental sector. Through the course of the year the varied range of tasks and responsibilities at hand have required the application of a wide skill set both practical and academic. Not only has this placement developed skills essential for a career in the environmental sector but also assisted in the development of a knowledge base in contaminated land and bioremediation. This is of great value because based on financial data of the top 12 environmental consultancy firms, contaminated land related services were estimated to account for 41% of their combined annual revenues in the 2011. In addition to the skills relevant to a career in the environmental sector, this placement has also developed a more widely applicable professional skills set. 4 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge all members of the Solvay, Warrington staff for welcoming me onsite and providing a comfortable work environment. I would also like to make a special acknowledgement to my supervisor John McDonagh for guiding me through a most valuable work experience that will provide me with the foundations necessary to achieve my career ambitions. I highly recommend any student aspiring to work in the environmental sector to take on this challenge and apply the skills they have gained through their studies at University.
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