As a key comprehensive university directly under the Ministry of Education, Central South University's laboratory wastewater has the following characteristics and challenges.

1. Wastewater characteristics:

● Complex composition: containing acidic, alkaline, organic solvents (such as methanol, benzene derivatives), heavy metals (such as lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury), microbial cultures, etc., with significant fluctuations in water quality and quantity.

● Toxicity and hazard: Some wastewater is corrosive and toxic, and cannot be directly discharged into municipal pipelines.

● Strict emission standards: It is necessary to meet both the "Water Quality Standards for Sewage Discharged into Urban Sewers" (GB/T 31962) and the stricter emission limits set by local environmental protection departments.

2. Core challenge:

● Difficulty in classification and collection: There are many types of wastewater generated by multiple laboratories, and source classification and collection management are huge challenges.

● Difficulty in integrating treatment technologies: There is no universal technology that can treat all pollutants, requiring an integrated and intelligent combination process.

● Safety and compliance risks: The system must be safe and reliable, prevent accidents such as leaks, poisoning, and explosions, and pass the "three simultaneous" environmental protection acceptance.