Abstract
Cassava is majorly processed into gari by smallholders in Southern Nigeria. During processing, large volume of effluents are produced in the pressing stage of cassava tuber processing. The cassava mill effluents are discharged into the soil directly and it drain into nearby pits, surface water, and canals without treatment. Cassava mill effluents is known to alter the receiving soil and water characteristics and affects the biota in such environments, such as fishes (water), domestic animals, and vegetation (soil). This study investigated the potential of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to be used for the treatment of some physicochemical properties of cassava mill effluents. S. cerevisiae was isolated from palm wine and identified based on conventional microbiological techniques, viz. morphological, cultural, and physiological/biochemical characteristics. The S. cerevisiae was inoculated into sterile cassava mill effluents and incubated for 15 days. Triplicate samples were withdrawn from the setup after the fifth day of treatment. Portable equipment was used to analyze the in-situ parameters, viz. total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity, salinity, and turbidity. Anions (nitrate, sulphate, and phosphate) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed using spectrophotometric and open reflux methods respectively. Results showed a decline of 37.62%, 22.96%, 29.63%, 20.49%, 21.44%, 1.70%, 53.48%, 68.00%, 100%, and 74.48% in pH, conductivity, DO, TDS, salinity, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and COD levels respectively, and elevation of 17.17% by turbidity. The study showed that S. cerevisiae could be used for the treatment of cassava mill effluents prior to being discharged into the environment so as to reduce the pollution or contamination and toxicity levels.
Highlights
Cassava is one of the major staple foods consumed globally
The in-situ characteristics of cassava mill effluents from a smallholder cassava processing mill in a rural community in Delta state, treated with S. cerevisiae within a period of 15 days are presented in Initial (Day 0)
This study investigated the effect of S. cerevisiae in the treatment of the physicochemical characteristics of the wastewater
Summary
Cassava is one of the major staple foods consumed globally. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world [1,2], accounting for about 54 million metric tonnes, as of the end of the 2014 economic year [3]. Cassava processing is a major agricultural business in Nigeria. The cultivation and processing of cassava into several products is a major source of livelihood to several families, especially in the Southern region. Cassava is processed into several products such as high-quality cassava flour, fufu, and lafun. Cassava processing in Nigeria is predominantly carried out by smallholders who utilize rudimentary equipment for processing
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