ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

AND WATER REUSE WASTE IN A

METALLURGICAL COMPANY, PERU, 2023

jfjimenez@ucvvirtual.edu.pe

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1280-115X

Cesar Vallejo University

Peru

(pretest and post-test) were determined. Data collection was conducted using documentary analysis

techniques and instruments: checklist and registration sheets. Statistical analysis with SPSS 22 software

determined that implementation of the environmental management plan improved the wastewater reuse

rate from 6.41 to 15.73. It was determined that the implementation of the environmental management

plan significantly improved the reuse of wastewater generated by a steel company, Pisco 2023.

Plan de Gestión Ambiental y Reúso de Agua Residuos en una Empresa

reúso de aguas residuales generadas por una empresa siderúrgica, Pisco 2023. El enfoque de la

investigación fue con la metodología de tipo aplicado y diseño experimental, se propuso la solución de

un método práctico. problema mediante la aplicación del plan de manejo ambiental, y la intervención

con las evaluaciones pre y post-test. La población y muestra estuvo compuesta por 15 registros (5

semanas pretest enero-marzo y 5 semanas postest mayo-julio 2023). A partir de la muestra se

determinaron las 15 medias pareadas (pretest y postest). La recolección de datos se realizó mediante

técnicas e instrumentos de análisis documental: lista de verificación y hojas de registro. El análisis

estadístico con el software SPSS 22 determinó que la implementación del plan de manejo ambiental

mejoró la tasa de reúso de aguas residuales de 6,41 a 15,73. Se determinó que la implementación del

plan de manejo ambiental mejoró significativamente el reúso de aguas residuales generadas por una

Aceptado para publicación: 25 abril 2024

In the context of the world, the scarcity and environmental degradation of water are problems that

increase the priority of water management, evidencing the need for more developed management

strategies, taking into account what has been stated by UNESCO, that seventy percent of industrial

wastewater is dumped untreated, due to the existence of difficulties in industries to meet the strict

requirements of discharge and reuse of water (Lyu, 2023; Rodríguez et al., 2021; Smol et al., 2020).

The economic growth of the global industrial sector is a latent concern since it degrades and immensely

affects the environment, moreover, that industries lack effective environmental management plans

will double (Ahmed et al., 2022; Jodar et al. 2019).

However, recent advances in wastewater treatment and reuse have led to a high efficiency in the removal

of various hazardous pollutants, due to the advances acquired in wastewater reuse technologies and

applications, despite this, there are still significant efforts to be made for its implementation worldwide.

the primary motivation for water recycling was to supplement scarce resources and provide alternatives

to surface water effluent disposal (Takeuchi & Tanaka, 2020; Ahmed et al., 2022). Water reuse is a

virtuous solution that protects nature by limiting the risks of pollution discharges into the environment

and strengthens water self-sufficiency by providing (Olivieri et al., 2020; Ghernaout et al, 2019; Lee &

Mendoza, 2022; Maquet, 2020).

In Peru, the aforementioned problems are also present in the industrial sector, where 60% of companies

environmental impacts (Torres, 2022). Considering that the reuse of wastewater is an essential

component to sustainably manage water resources, recent studies of environmental performance in the

country, linked to the current reality of the levels of wastewater generated, identified that 40% of the

wastewater identified in industries involved prior treatment to its discharge into a receiving source. The

main causes of the inadequate quality of reused water resources are insufficient treatments, discharges

of untreated wastewater, inadequate solid waste management, environmental liabilities, and their

characteristics (Cáceres, 2023; Páucar and Iturregui, 2020).

The steel company carries out its activities in the Ica region, for the application of its industrial processes

water consumption, as well as the sustained increase in the volume of wastewater discharged in the area

of oxidation lagoons, and the greater extension of them, leading to higher levels of soil and air pollution

that corresponds to the areas surrounding these wastewater deposits. containing high concentration

levels of metals and pollutants. If the sustained increase in these water, air and soil quality indices is

not remedied, they would generate an irreversible impact on the areas of influence, and it is essential to

apply an effective environmental management plan that develops an efficient reuse of reclaimed water

for industrial use in the field of circular economy to reduce the consumption of natural water and

increase the reuse of industrial wastewater used by the steel company for its operations. production

processes.

In this problematic reality, PG was identified as a general problem How does the Environmental

resource, benefiting the company through better processes and reducing its costs. Due to its social

relevance, it is transcendent for society, since it benefited workers and the population, encouraged the

creation of environmental awareness with good practices and their application. Due to practical

implications, it contributed to the solution of the problem of environmental impact in influence. The

overall objective was to determine how the Environmental Management Plan improves the reuse of

wastewater generated by a steel company, Pisco 2023, The general hypothesis was: HG The

Environmental Management Plan significantly improves the reuse of wastewater generated by a steel

company, Pisco 2023.

natural resources and there are borders imposed by nature, this perspective is reactive to the effect of

economic modeling that does not consider the ethical, social or moral aspect, proposing management

with minimal intervention in the constitution of nature (Vidal and Asuaga, 2021). Likewise, a third

position, the conservationist, emphasizes its perception of the resource and the environmental problem

as restricting economic growth, supporting steady-state growth. Culminating with the fourth position,

of sustainable development, which advocates a firm commitment of resources and environmental

problems to the management of economic growth, in other words, the environmentalist position

emerged in the 1980s, which holds that protecting the environment and the growth of the economy are

combined in the reconciliation of ecology and the market economy (Vidal and Asuaga, 2021).

improvement, with the purpose of determining the best practices and processes to minimize the

environmental impact of the organization, controlling the aspects derived from its operations, as well

as the permanent monitoring of the impact on the environment. identifying the causes and mitigating

their inherent effects (Cuadrado & Vargas, 2018) A management plan points out the environmental

deficiencies of each organization and proposes effective measures that contribute to the reduction of

environmental impact, framing each organization to recognize what actions should be applied to

mitigate the effects on the environment beyond the short term. and sustainable (Mohammad et al.,

2020). In 1989, Pearce and Turner argued for the need for a new paradigm in the context of a circular

economy, whose economic, social and environmental model represents a new challenge for

organizations, considering that it represents the establishment of an economic system, in search of the

preservation of natural resources, whose purpose is to contribute to the reduction of the environmental

environmental considerations in decision-making in the industrial field (Navqi et al., 2023). The

benefits resulting from the implementation of an environmental plan are increased competitiveness and

effectiveness linked to waste management, conservation of environmental resources, avoiding non-

compliance with regulations by avoiding fines or sanctions, as well as creating, promoting, and

stimulating environmental awareness, through good environmental practices and their implementation.

The Environmental Management Plan was based on the continuous improvement cycle that combines

the concepts of Plan, Do, Verify and Act (PHVA). Plan: The first phase that identifies the necessary

environmental goals and processes. The environmental management organization established the

objectives considering the company's environmental policy (Mosquera, 2022). Whose indicators are

identification of objectives and processes Do: How the second phase implements the processes. Once

development of activities. Verify: To establish monitoring and measurement processes; constantly

monitor the operations conducted, looking for opportunities for improvement that guaranteed the

continuity of the application over time, linked to the achievement of greater benefits for the organization

and its stakeholders (Mosquera, 2022). Taking as indicators: monitoring and measurement. Acting: This

is the phase where decisions are made to improve continuously. Based on the previous stage and once

formulated, the action plan continues its execution, in pursuit of feedback and restart of the cycle

(Mosquera, 2022). Taking as indicators the action plan and the continuous improvement process.

From the aspect of related theories, the conceptualization of the term reuse, of wastewater, Cáceres

guaranteeing its availability as a scarce resource, through its reuse due to its limitations for the use of

water resources, its deficient quality, and as the main cause of pollution has the discharge of domestic

wastewater (Páucar and Iturregui, 2020). Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six is to ensure the

availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, with 50% of untreated

wastewater and increasing the application of recycling and reuse globally. Reuse increases the volumes

of water as well as the availability of water resources, improving the quality of effluents as a

fundamental element in the management and use of water. Thus, reclaimed water is a substitute for use

that requires minimum levels of quality, leaving better quality volume for primary uses, as well as for

the most demanding (Antunes & Pasold, 2019).

Wastewater is the water volumes whose origin characteristics are modified by human activity or the

they require. In the research, direct reuse wastewater is that which is destined for industrial processes,

Antunes and Pasold (2019) assume that planned indirect water reuse and planned direct water reuse are

applied. Dimensions: Direct reuse of wastewater: This occurs when effluents, after treatment, are routed

directly from their discharge point to the place of reuse, without being expelled into the environment.

This is the most common case, leading to industrial use (Antunes & Pasold, 2019). Indirect reuse of

wastewater: This occurs when effluents, after treatment, are discharged into surface water in a planned

manner, being used properly controlled, ensuring that the treated effluent is subject to the quality

requirement at its destination (Antunes & Pasold, 2019).

It was developed through an explanatory scope research, applied type and experimental design with

pre-experimental sub-design. Thesample consisted of 15 pairs of measurements (pre-test and post-test)

instrument being the record sheet, which developed both techniques with procedures applied by the

researcher.

With respect to the general objective, the implementation of the environmental management plan

significantly improved the reuse of wastewater generated at the Pisco steel company, 2023, where the

pre-test average obtained an index of 6.4067 and the post-test average registered 15.7267, determining

its increase by 9.32. The inferential results expressed at the significance level of 0.000 obtained, led to

the rejection of the null hypothesis and acceptance of the alternative hypothesis based on the decision

rule (p< 0.05), determining that the application of the environmental management plan significantly