An Integrated Treatment Technology for Blended Wastewater of the Sugar Industry and Ethanol Distillery

摘要

This study was designed to evaluate physicochemical properties of the sugar industry and ethanol distillery wastewater, and treat the blended wastewater of the two industries using anaerobic digestion followed by adsorption of bagasse fly ash (BFA). The wastewater samples of the two industries were collected using composite and grab- sampling techniques. The application of the integrated treatment method was performed using an initial COD concentration of 10,000 mg/L, at the hydraulic retention time of 10 days, pH 7 and a constant temperature (37 °C) of the bioreactor, whereas the adsorption treatment was operated at the optimum point of BFA dose (4 g in 100 mL) and contact time (4 h) obtained in previous studies. Most of the physicochemical parameters of the two wastewaters were above the effluent discharging limits, which have the potential to cause adverse effects on the environment by interfering with physicochemical and biological processing. Under anaerobic treatment, maximum COD reduction of 65% and color removal of 79% were recorded, whereas after adsorption treatment, COD reduction of 62% and color removal of 58% were observed. However, the integration of the two aforementioned treatment technologies resulted in an average COD reduction of 76% and color removal of 83%, which indicates a promising option to mitigate pollution of untreated wastewater and enhance the practices of reusing the treated wastewater at the industrial scales. Finally, it can be concluded that the treated effluent can also be reused for irrigation of sugarcane which will contribute to sustainable water utilization in the sector.