Characterization of wastewater from a Malaysian cosmetic manufacturing industry

Cosmetic manufacturing generates highly polluting effluents due to the complexity of formulations and the wide range of raw materials used. A pilot study was conducted to investigate the chemical characteristics of wastewater produced by a local cosmetic manufacturing facility in Malaysia. Standard water quality parameters, including temperature, pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal-nitrogen (AN), and oil and grease (O&G), were analysed in wastewater collected during the utensil cleaning stage and from drainage systems. Highest levels of COD and BOD were observed in wastewater from the cleaning of utensils used for Hair Tonic production (741 mg/L and 244 mg/L, respectively), followed by Sculpting Lotion (215 mg/L and 82.0 mg/L) and Shampoo (374 mg/L and 145 mg/L). Wastewater samples collected from the drainage system showed significant decline across all measured water quality parameters. These findings provide valuable insights into the characteristics of cosmetic wastewater and highlight the need for effective treatment strategies to minimise the environmental impact associated with cosmetic industrial effluents.