Otsuka Pharmaceutical

Kubota MBR Case Study
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is known for the isotonic sports drink “Pokari Sweat”, inspired by
intravenous solution. Now the company is manufacturing various kinds of nutraceutical and
pharmaceutical products.
Otsuka has built up an Environmental Management System according to ISO14001 to tackle
various environmental problems. Effluent quality is also strictly controlled by setting more
stringent voluntary standards.
Due to increasing production, Otsuka decided to expand its wastewater treatment plant.
To utilize the existing facility (Trickling Filter + Activated Sludge Method), the best choice to
increase capacity was the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system, which has shown the higher
discharge quality and easier maintenance.
・Membrane Tanks, a machine house and chemical injection equipment were built above the
existing aeration tank to avoid increasing footprint in expanding the treatment capacity.
・On top of the membrane tank, a disinfection tank and cleaning chemical tank are installed
to make the chemical cleaning and chemical reception from tank lorry easier.
・Excess sludge is dewatered with a multi-disk type machine and then hauled offsite for
incineration.
Factory Overview
Membrane Unit
Membrane Tank
【Outline of the Facility】
Name of the facility :
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Location :
Saga Prefecture, Japan
Type of wastewater :
Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Wastewater
Flow :
1,300 m3/d (MBR) ( totally 2,000 m3/d )
Commissioned :
October, 2006
Kubota MBR Case Study
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
【MBR Process Flow Sheet】
【Design Parameter and Actual Data】
Influent
Effluent
Parameter
Design
Actual Data
Design
Actual Data
BOD (mg/L)
1,000
1,200
< 20
<4
CODMn (mg/L)
-
752
< 30
3.3
CODCr (mg/L)
-
1320
-
7.2
SS (mg/L)
500
100
< 10
<1
pH (-)
4 ~ 12
4.6
5.8 ~ 8.6
7.7
KUBOTA Corporation
Water Engineering & Solution Division
Membrane Systems Sales Dept.
http://www.kubota.co.jp
KUBOTA Membrane Europe Ltd.
Tokyo Head Office : 1-3, Nihombashi-Muromachi
7c Suite, Elsinore House, 77 Fulham Palace Road, London,
W6 8JA, UK
Tel:+44(0) 20-8741-5262 Fax:+44(0) 20-8563-1616
http://www.kubota-mbr.com
3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8310, Japan
Tel:+81(0) 3-3245-3665 Fax:+81(0) 3-3245-3407
KUBOTA Membrane USA Corporation
Hanshin Office : 1-1-1 Hama, Amagasaki, Hyogo
661-8567, Japan
Tel:+81(0) 6-6470-5145 Fax:+81(0) 6-6470-5159
14824 NE 95th Street, Bldg. 6 Redmond, WA 98052, USA
Tel: +1-425-898-2858 Fax: +1-425-898-2853
http://www.kubota-membrane.com