Distillery Industry Research Articles

Hydrothermal treatment of effluent affected polluted soil of Nanjangud, Mysore district, India

The polluted soils from the major textile, distillery and food industries located on a high-grade rock terrain (Nanjangud, Mysore district, India) were treated under hydrothermal conditions using water as a solvent. The electrical conductivity and N, P, K content have been studied before and after the hydrothermal treatment for these soil samples. Characterization of these soil samples was carried out through powder X-ray diffraction, thin section and infrared spectroscopic studies.

Uses of winery and distillery effluents in agriculture: characterisation of nutrient and hazardous components

Twenty-one samples of winery and distillery effluents were collected from different Spanish winery and distillery industries. Electrical conductivity, pH, redox potential, density, organic charge (chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total, volatile and suspended solids, oxidisable organic C and polyphenols) and contents of plant nutrients and heavy metals were analysed. The aim of this work was to study the composition of these effluents and to find relationships which would make it possible to use easily determined parameters to estimate their composition. The winery wastewater (WW) and vinasse (V) showed an acidic pH, a high organic load and notable polyphenol, macronutrient, micronutrient and heavy metal contents. Some of these properties are not compatible with agricultural requirements; therefore, conditioning treatment of these liquid wastes is necessary to produce a safe, stable and easily manageable end product. Generally, in both effluent types, significant correlations were found between easily analysable parameters, such as suspended, volatile and total solids, pH, electrical conductivity, density and redox potential, and most of the parameters studied. The linear regression equations obtained permitted an immediate characterisation of the WW and V samples using these parameters.

Effect of post‐methanation effluent on soil physical properties under a soybean‐wheat system in a Vertisol

AbstractPost‐methanation effluent (PME) generated through bio‐methanation of distillery effluent, a foul‐smelling, dark colored by‐product of distillery industries, is applied to arable land in some areas near the vicinity of the distillery industries as an amendment. The PME contains considerable amount of organic matter and salt besides its high plant‐nutrient content. The present investigation was conducted for three years during 1999–2002 on soybean‐wheat cropping sequence to evaluate the effect of graded levels of post‐methanation effluent (PME) on soil physical properties and crop productivity in a deep Vertisol of central India. Six application doses of PME viz. S2.5+W0: 2.5 cm PME applied to soybean and wheat on residual nutrition, S2.5+W1.25: 2.5 cm PME to soybean and 1.25 cm to wheat, S5.0+W0: 5 cm PME to soybean and wheat on residual nutrition, S5.0+W2.5: 5.0 cm PME to soybean and 2.5 cm to wheat, S10.0+W0: 10 cm PME to soybean and wheat on residual nutrition, and S10.0+W5.0: 10.0 cm PME to soybean and 5.0 cm to wheat, were compared with 100% recommended NPK+FYM ≅ 4 Mg ha–1 and control (no fertilizer, manure or PME). The application of PME increased the organic carbon content and electrical conductivity of the soil compared to control and 100% NPK+FYM treatment. The organic C content was maximum in S10.0+W5.0 (11.2 g kg–1) and minimum in control (5.2 g kg–1). Electrical conductivity increased from 0.47 dS m–1 in control to 1.58 dS m–1 in highest dose of PME (S10.0+W5.0). The PME treatments have not affected the soil pH. The application of PME showed a significant improvement in the physical properties of the soil. The mean weight diameter (MWD), percent water‐stable aggregation (% WSA), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and water retention (WR) at 0.033 MPa suction were significantly (P < 0.05) more while bulk density (BD) and penetration resistance was significantly less in PME‐treated plots than that of control. The MWD showed a linear and positive relationship (r = 0.89**) with the soil organic C. Soybean recorded significantly higher seed yield at all PME treatments than control. Highest average soybean yield (2.39 Mg ha–1) was recorded in S10.0+W0 but yield decreased significantly in S10.0+W5.0 (2.08 Mg ha–1). In wheat, all the PME‐treated plots except S2.5+W0 yielded significantly higher than control while the 100% NPK+FYM treatment yielded (3.46 Mg ha–1) at par with the S10.0+W5.0 (4.0 Mg ha–1) and S5.0+W2.5 (3.66 Mg ha–1). Fresh application of PME to wheat resulted in significant improvement in grain yield over that grown on residual fertility. Thus, application of PME to arable land, as an amendment, could be considered as a viable option for the safe disposal of this industrial waste.

Wet-Dry Referenda in Kentucky and the Persistence of Prohibition Forces

Kentucky's history and present is marked by stark contrasts in alcohol production and sales. While the distillery industry has a long history in German-settled areas around Louisville and along the Ohio River, there have been religious and temperance groups since early in the nineteenth century opposed to sales. The strength of prohibition forces was evident in gubernatorial races and legislative proposals that led up to enactment of statewide prohibition in 1919. This proposed amendment to the Kentucky Constitution was narrowly approved by voters; in 1933 the "wet" or repeal voters again were in the majority, but not without much opposition from Southern Baptists and other fundamentalist denominations. During the past three decades, the "dry" forces have continued to influence proposed alcoholic beverage sales petitions in much of small-city and rural Kentucky. While the "dry" forces consider the question of sales a moral issue, supporters of sales tout potential convention and tourist dollars and attracting outside industries. Persistence of prohibition forces is evident in the state's having 75 dry and 30 wet counties and 15 "moist" counties (dry counties that contain wet cities).