IV-391 



This discussion considers only the volumes of wastes either treated 

 or not treated; it does not consider the level of treatment pro- 

 vided. Some industrial wastes, including those from all major 

 water use industries, require extensive treatment before disposal 

 to the environment. Others do not require anything other than 

 settling and clarification. The precentages of wastes treated, 

 however, do give an idea of relative concern for the environment 

 expressed in action by the industrial and institutional communities. 



Desalination operations and the ever-growing nuclear power facili- 

 ties are new kinds of industry representing potential environmental 

 problems. Salt water conversion plants remove dissolved materials 

 from water to make it fit for municipal consumption and industrial 

 process use. In the case of sea water, where salt concentrations 

 are as high as 33,000 mg/1, the purification of each million gal- 

 lons of water results in a waste containing almost 300 pounds of 

 impure salts. Nuclear operations present a completely different 

 problem — that of protecting the environment from exposure to 

 harmful ionizing radiation. Since environmental exposure must be 

 held to a minimum, careful control and monitoring of existing and 

 potential radiological waste sources are essential. 



DREDGING AND FILLING 



Intensification of use of the estuarine zone has resulted in many 



