Scale buildup is an inevitable reality of any heat exchanger, condenser, or boiler lifecycle. However, traditional acidic chemical solutions have proven to cause significant, though often hidden, environmental consequences, particularly during disposal after cleaning cycles are complete.
After descaling cycles are complete, the resulting wastewater is often a toxic mixture of scale deposits from within your equipment. Hydrochloric, sulfuric, or phosphoric acid found in traditional descaling solutions often requires neutralization prior to being discarded. Disposal of this waste stream with dissolved metals and contaminants in turn poses a significant threat to local environmental systems.
Groundwater Pollution
Chemical waste, such as that created from descaling cleaning cycles, easily seeps into soil and groundwater sources, thus creating toxic, though invisible, contamination for decades. This waste can pollute these water sources while also harming local ecosystems who rely on soil and ground water for survival.
Water Treatment Center Damages
Wastewater treatment centers aren’t designed to handle solutions with dissolved metals or strong inorganic acids. As a result, the chemical waste created through descaling processes can also cause metal infrastructure like pipes and equipment to corrode and break down over time. This can accelerate pipeline failures, increase maintenance and replacement costs, and shorten the lifespan of critical infrastructure.
Biodegradable Alternatives
One of the surest ways to minimize the risk of environmental contamination while still ensuring effective scale removal is investment in eco-friendly biodegradable organic descaling agents. Rather than relying on harsh acidic chemicals that cause corrosion and pollution, these alternative solutions break down naturally into non-toxic byproducts, meaning that wastewater poses a much less severe risk to local ecosystems and water sources.
In addition, these biodegradable descalers prove safer to handle for employees performing cleaning cycles and disposing of waste. While standard safety precautions are still best practice, these eco-friendly descalers that are non-corrosive and use low-fume formulas don’t pose the same health risks as handling highly acidic traditional agents.
Merrick Wheelhouse Industrial Solutions believes the future of industrial sanitation is sustainable. The team is passionate about helping customers design comprehensive cleaning cycles for their equipment that effectively remove scale without damaging local ecosystems. Investing in safe, sustainable, and eco-friendly descaling solutions is an investment in a longer service life for your equipment, less pollution in your community, and a healthier world overall.