Treatment and alternative usage possibilities of a special wastewater: Nejayote

Abstract

AbstractNejayote is the wastewater of alkaline cooking process (nixtamalization) and contains high amount of organic agent. Alkaline cooking is a very old process used in processing the corn. This process improves some nutritional and technological properties of corn. However, direct delivery of postprocess occurred nejayote to the receiving environment bears a great deal of environmental risk. In addition, due to bearing the nutritional transport of the compounds found in nejayote, these compounds have the potential to be used for different purposes upon being separated from the nejayote. In this study, treatment of nejayote, pollutant content to be reduced by ecological alkaline cooking practices, and possibilities of alternative applications have been reviewed.Practical applicationsNejayote is a wastewater containing corn components such as germ parts, pericarp, cellulosic structures, proteins, calcium, and endosperm and possesses environment polluting dry matter varying in the range of approximately 1–15%. Throughout alkaline cooking process, considerable amount of nejayote occurs. For this reason, the development of alkaline cooking practices with less polluting nature, the use of nejayote to be purified or to be used in other processes prior to be disposed bears great importance in terms of environmental health.