1. Industrial wastewater characterization

The term "industrial wastewater" covers all water discharged by the plant into the outside environment, after having contributed to manufacturing, cleaning, transport, cooling, etc., generally excluding rainwater, unless it is polluted by runoff from roofs that cause heavy atmospheric pollution (e.g. cement plants), This generally excludes rainwater, unless it is polluted by runoff from the roofs of factories that cause high levels of atmospheric pollution (e.g. cement works, thermal power stations, etc.), or from the soils of active or abandoned industrial sites contaminated by various substances (nitrogen compounds, hydrocarbons, metallic salts).