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Distillery Waste Treatment Processes

The distillery industry utilizes waste molasses from sugar production for alcohol fermentation, involving a series of processes including dilution, pH adjustment, and yeast fermentation. The resulting distillery spent wash has high BOD and COD levels, leading to significant environmental impacts if not treated properly. Effective treatment methods include a two-stage biological process followed by aerobic treatment, achieving substantial BOD reduction.

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14 views3 pages

Distillery Waste Treatment Processes

The distillery industry utilizes waste molasses from sugar production for alcohol fermentation, involving a series of processes including dilution, pH adjustment, and yeast fermentation. The resulting distillery spent wash has high BOD and COD levels, leading to significant environmental impacts if not treated properly. Effective treatment methods include a two-stage biological process followed by aerobic treatment, achieving substantial BOD reduction.

Uploaded by

rosy17dolly15
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

DISTILLERY INDUSTRY

Process details:
The waste molasses from sugar industry which contains high concentration
of sugar (sucrose) is used as substrate for alcohol fermentation. The
molasses is diluted with enough water so that the sugar concentration
remains at 10-15%. The pH of this dilute solution is adjusted to 4-5 with
H2SO4 and is also supplemented with ammonium sulphate as source of
nitrogen. This diluted mixer is called as mash is fermented with yeast under
a temperature from 20-30oc for 30-70 hrs. Sucrose present in molasses is
converted to ethane alcohol by the catalytic enzymes.
The liquor after fermentation containing 8-10% ethanol is concentrated and
purified in series of distillation (analizer and rectifier) columns. The vapours
from the top of the rectifiers column are condensed or cooled. This is called
rectified spirit. The dark brown opaque liquid of the analizer column
remaining after removal of alcohol is disposable and is called as spent wash.
Characteristics of distillery spent wash

Colour dark brown


pH 3.5-4.0
BOD 40000-50000
COD 90000-100000mg/l
TS 8000-90000
SS 300-400mg/l
Chlorides 500-6000mg/l
Tot. Nitrogen 1000-1200mg/l

Effects of wastes on receiving stream:


Due to high BOD content, depletion of dissolved oxygen of the receiving
water takes place. This results in anaerobic decomposition of organic solids,
both settled and suspended, producing a malodorous condition further
deteriorate due t the strong growth of sewage fungi. The dark colour of the
stream renders it unaesthetic.

Treatment of distillery waste:


The raw spent wash with low pH, high dissolved solids, high temp, high
sulphates and high BOD is not amenable to aerobic biological treatment.
Two stage biological method of treatment, followed by an aerobic treatment
of the waste, have been widely accepted as the only methods of treatment of
the wastes from the distilleries.

A BOD reduction of 91% can be obtained with a detention time of 15 days at


a BOD loading of 2.5 kg/m 3/day. About 90-95% BOD reduction can be
achieved in a two stage anaerobic lagoon system. BOD reduction of 85.5%
with a detention time of 60days and a loading rate of 0.67 kg of BOD/m 3/d
in the 1st stage and BOD reduction of 65.5% with a detention time of 40days
and a loading rate of 0.15kg of BOD/m3/d in the 2nd stage is reported.

Effluent of digesters and the anaerobic lagoons still contain a high BOD and
can be treated either in aerated lagoons or oxidation ditches. About 90%
BOD removal can be accomplished in aerated lagoons with a detention time
of 20-28 days. Aerated lagoons effluents require further treatment in a
polishing lagoon of about 24 hrs detention time.

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