Mixing Chemicals

If the question is: Can sodium bisulfate be used to neutralize this solution after it is used and prior to disposal, the answer is yes.

If the question is: can I mix this with the sodium bisulfate before using it, have it work properly & then dispose of the solution, the answer is "you have to see if it works, but I doubt it"!

I'm assuming() you are asking this because the chemical composition of the developer is a bit different from what you used previously. By neutralizing this with sodium bisulfate you will wind up with a mixture of sodium and potassium cations in addition to the sulfate anion. It will allow you to adjust the pH to 7 (or as close as ypou want).

I figured that it would neutralize, we'll have to experiment with the mixture, just didn't know if there would be some type of adverse reaction between the chemicals, other than managing the pH level.

You should contact the water/sewer authority for their advice. If the pH is high, they will probably encourage you to send it on its way unless there is so much that it swamps the system.

Long runs in sewers tend to become acidic as the contents "brew" and the addition of a high pH material could buffer some of that effect.

In longer lines, we add significant amounts of buffer material to overcome the acid effects, like concrete pipes that melt away and manholes that collapse.

GA

The local municipality require that the pH be below 9.5 before entering the drain, this is the reason for neutralizing. The concern I had was that the composition of the developer is changing and neither company would give me an answer as to whether this neutralizer would work. Thanks for the reply.

Remember also that dilution with water also reduces alkaline pH.

That is true, we have one facility that uses this method. From my testing at the facility it works, keeps the pH below the municipality requirements of under a pH of 9.5 but they also run over 620,000 gallons of water a year just to dilute. We have a second facility that runs straight down the drain, however with that line the municipality measure as the main line coming out of the building and everything is fine, by the time the developer is diluted and neutralized by the waste from the rest of the building we are running right at a pH level of 8.5. I know that the same thing is happening at the other facilities but the regulations require a measurement prior to hitting the drain. We are in the works of getting answers from the local municipality, as to whether we need to neutralize or not, we'll see what happens.

If you're dumping such quantities of "waste" down the drain, then you should have a "commercial waste" agreement with the sewer/water authority.

Where I work, we'd rather know what's coming into the system and allow the treatment plants to deal with it. If you start buffering in your place, then that hits the system, there can be solid precipitates that accumulate and set like concrete, eventually blocking the pipes.

High pH from individual customers is seldom an issue, low pH would be more concern, fats and oils are really nasty and ironically, high sugar acidic material is our single largest concern.

We had one plant "killed" by a dose of pineapple juice concentrate that was dumped from a processing plant. We had to transplant "bugs" from another plant to restore the system.

The main reason that high pH would be concern is potential interaction with pipe materials nearby in the network, and mostly specifically the seals at pipe joints.

It's not the companies that aren't giving you answers it's the people there.

These companies must have recommended neutralisation/disposal practices in order to be permitted to peddle their poisons.

If you've been emailing them without luck then try a phone call and if that doesn't work then take/send the chemical to them and ask tell them to deal with it.

Chemical manufactures have fiduciary obligations for the full life cycle of their products.

Make them listen. Sometimes you have to be "rude".

It's bisulphite, not bisulphate.

If neutralisation is needed, any acidic material would do - vinegar, for example. Obtain some form of discharge consent limit and keep within it.

It is Bisulfate not Bisulfite, NaHSO4 not NaHSO3. This stuff is a bit more acidic. Funny you mention using other types of chemicals. I tested and compared cost and I can use Coke-Cola syrup to neutralize for almost the same cost.

This should work, but you should try a small-scale test to make sure no precipitate forms when neutralizing the more concentrated solution. You also might need a substantial volume of bisulfate solution to complete the neutralization.