Distillery Spentwash Research Articles

Comparative study on the growth and yields of leafy vegetables irrigated by distillery spentwash in normal and spentwash treated soil

Cultivation of leafy vegetables irrigated by distillery spentwash in normal and spentwash treated soil was studied. The primary treated distillery spentwash (PTSW) and 33% spentwash were analyzed for additive plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and other physical and chemical parameters. Normal soil and spentwash treated soil were tested for chemical and physical parameters. The leafy vegetable seeds were sown in the prepared land blocks. Seeds were irrigated with water and 33% spentwash. The nature of growth and yields were studied and compared. Irrigation with 33% spentwash showed efficient growth and yield for all leafy vegetables compared to control.

Studies on the impact of irrigation of distillery spentwash on the yields of herbal medicinal plants

Cultivation of some herbal medicinal plants was made by irrigation with distillery spentwash of different concentrations. The spentwash i.e., primary treated spentwash (PTSW), 50% and 33% spentwash were analyzed for their plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other physical and chemical characteristics. Experimental soil was tested for its chemical and physical parameters. Seeds of herbal medicinal plants were sown in the prepared land and irrigated with raw water (RW) 50% and 33% spentwash. The influence of spentwash on the yields of herbal medicinal plants at their respective maturity was investigated. It was found that the yields of all herbal medicinal plants were more in 33% spentwash irrigation than raw water and 50% spentwash irrigations.

Effect of Spentwash Application on Nitrogen Dynamics in Soil

Distillery spentwash contains all nutrients and organic matter and used in agriculture as a source of plant nutrients and irrigation water. Besides all the nutrients, spentwash contains appreciable amount of nitrogen also. The effect of different levels and methods of spentwash application on soil nitrogen dynamics was examined through a field experiment. The field experiment was conducted using Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) as a test crop. At all stages of groundnut growth, the amounts of NH4-N and NO3-N were greater in soil that received 120 m 3 of spentwash with the recommended dose of NP fertilizers. Results shown that the spentwash not only adds mineral N (NH4-N and NO3-N) to soil, but also promotes the mineralization of soil organic N, thus resulting in large amounts of NH4-N and NO3-N in soil. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to study the nitrogen dynamics in soil under spentwash application and its impact on soil, crop and environmental quality.

Optimization of the parameters for decolourization by Aspergillus niger of anaerobically digested distillery spentwash pretreated with polyaluminium chloride

Molasses spentwash from distilleries is characterized by high COD and colour. The fungal decolourization of anaerobically digested molasses spentwash requires significant dilution. In this study, decolourization by Aspergillus niger isolate IITB-V8 was performed on polyaluminium chloride (PAC) treated anaerobically digested spentwash without dilution of wastewater. Optimization of parameters was studied using statistical experimental designs. In the first step, Plackett–Burman design was used for screening the important parameters. Glucose was taken as the carbon source for the growth of A. niger. KH 2PO 4 and pH were found to be the important factors affecting decolourization. In the second step, Box–Behnken design was used to determine the optimum level of each of the significant parameters. A second-order polynomial was determined by the multiple regression analysis of the experimental data. The optimum values for the important factors to achieve maximum decolourization of 68.4% were 5.5 g/L Glucose, 1.2 g/L KH 2PO 4 and 5 pH. The determination coefficient ( R 2) was 0.9973, which ensures adequate credibility of the model. The total decolourization obtained after fungal treatment was 86.8% which indicates fungal decolourization after pretreatment with PAC is a viable option for the treatment of digested molasses spentwash.

Impact of distillery spentwash irrigation on the yields of some condiments: An investigation

Cultivation of three condiments, Garlic (Allium sativum), Ginger (Zinziber officinale) and Turmeric (Curcuma domestica) was done by distillery spentwash irrigation of three different concentrations. The spentwash treatments, primary treated spentwash (PTSW) diluted to 50% and 33% spentwash, were analyzed for their plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other physical and chemical parameters. Experimental soil was tested for its chemical and physical parameters. The seeds (sets) of the condiments (Namadhari and Mayhco) were sowed in the prepared land and irrigated with raw water (RW), 50% and 33% spentwash at the dosage of 5mm-10mm/cm2 depending upon the climatic condition. The impact of spentwash on the yields of condiments at their maturity periods was investigated. It was noticed that the yields of all condiments were very high in 33% spentwash compared to 50% spentwash and raw water irrigation.

Degradation of biopolymeric pigments in distillery spentwash by electrocoagulation using copper anodes: statistical and canonical analysis

The electrocoagulation studies of distillery spentwash using copper anodes were utilized to demonstrate the usefulness of Box–Behnken experimental design of response surface analysis to derive a statistical model and the optimum parameters for color removal. The current intensity (1.5 A), dilution (10%) and time of electrolysis (5 h) had been found to be the optimum conditions for maximum 77.11% color removal. The actual color removal at optimized conditions was found to be 78.26%, which is to the predicted response using response surface methodology. The energy consumption and current efficiency were determined from reduction in chemical oxygen demand.

Impact of distillery spentwash irrigation on the yields of some top vegetables: An investigation

Cultivation of some top vegetables was made by irrigation with distillery spent wash of different proportions. The spent wash i.e., primary treated spent wash (PTSW), 50% and 33% spent wash were analyzed for its plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other physical and chemical parameters. Experimental soil was tested for its chemical and physical parameters. Top vegetables seeds (Namadhari and Mayhco) were sowed in the prepared land and irrigated with raw water (RW), 50% and 33% spent wash. The impact of spent wash on the yields of vegetables at their maturity periods was investigated.

Impact of irrigation of distillery spentwash on the nutrients of pulses in untreated and treated soil

The impact of irrigation of distillery spent on the nutrients uptake in pulses in untreated and treated soil were studied. The 50% and 33% concentrations of spent wash were analyzed for their additive plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other physical and chemical parameters. The pulse seeds (Namadhari and Mayhco) were sown in the prepared land and irrigated with raw water (RW), 50% and 33% spent wash, respectively. The impact of spent wash in untreated and treated soils on proximate principles (moisture, protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, energy, calcium, phosphorous and iron) vitamin content (carotene and vitamin-C) and mineral and trace elements (magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium and nickle) of pulses were also investigated. It was found that the uptake of all the nutrients was surplus in 33% spent wash as compared to 50% spent wash treatment and raw water irrigation (control). Aslo, the nutrients uptake was largely influenced in spent wash treated soils in comparison to raw water irrigation than the untreated soil.

Design of Optimum Response Surface Experiments for Electro-Coagulation of Distillery Spent Wash

Electro-coagulation (EC) of a distillery spent wash has been optimized by Box–Behnken design of surface response analysis in terms of color removal. The design was employed to derive a statistical model for the effect of parameters studied on removal of color using iron anodes. The current density (31 mA/cm2), dilution (17.5%) and time of electrolysis (4 hours) had been found to be the optimum conditions for maximum 95% color removal. The actual color removal at optimized conditions was found to be 93.5% which confirms close to the predicted response using response surface methodology.

Removal of color from biomethanated distillery spentwash by treatment with activated carbons

This work examined 19 carbon samples prepared by acid and thermal activation of various agro-residues viz. bagasse, bagasse flyash, sawdust, wood ash and rice husk ash for color removal from biomethanated distillery effluent. Phosphoric acid carbonized bagasse B (PH) showed the maximum color removal (50%). However, commercial activated carbons AC (ME) and AC (LB) showed better performance of over 80% color removal. Besides color removal, activated carbon treatment also showed reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), phenol and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). The performance was related to the characteristics of the investigated samples. Further, adsorption isotherms for melanoidins, which is the primary coloring compound in distillery spentwash, followed the Langmuir isotherm implying monolayer adsorption.

Application of distillery spent wash and its effect on sucrose content in sugarcane

Effect of distillery spent wash (DSW) was studied on plant and ratoon crop of on three sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) genotypesviz, CoS 95255 (early maturing and high sugar), CoS 767 (mid-late and medium sugar) and BO91 (late maturing and medium sugar). The DSW was applied through irrigation water during early growth stage (60 and 90 DAP) at three different concentrations,viz. 25,50 and 100 %. In control plants, normal irrigation was given. The effect of different concentrations of DSW was observed on the Brix and sucrose profile in cane juice during the whole crop cycle (from 180 to 330 days after treatment). The suitability of different genotypes for different concentrations of DSW was also observed. The study revealed that all cane varieties showed improvement in total soluble solids (TSS %) by addition of 25% DSW, but showed negative response at higher doses. Early maturing variety (CoS 95255) showed greater accumulation during winter months as compared to late maturing variety (BO 91). Application of vinasse @ 25% concentration showed marked improvement in sucrose accumulation in all the three varieties and this trend was recorded till harvest. The ratoon crop showed almost similar trend, indicating that vinasse application elicited same physiological response in plant as well as ratoon crops of sugarcane. Variety CoS 95255 was found to be best suited for the application of DSW @ 25% concentration.

Biotechnological conversion of agro-industrial wastewaters into biodegradable plastic, poly β-hydroxybutyrate

Waste activated sludge generated from a combined dairy and food processing industry wastewater treatment plant was evaluated for its potential to produce biodegradable plastic, poly β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB). Deproteinized jowar grain-based distillery spentwash yielded 42.3% PHB production (w/w), followed by filtered rice grain-based distillery spentwash (40% PHB) when used as substrates. Addition of di-ammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAHP) resulted in an increase in PHB production to 67% when raw rice grain-based spentwash was used. Same wastewater, after removal of suspended solids by filtration and with DAHP supplementation resulted in lower PHB production (57.9%). However, supplementing other wastes with DAHP led to a substantial decrease in PHB content in comparison to what was observed in the absence of DAHP.

Analysis and Recommendation of Agriculture Use of Distillery Spentwash in Rampur District, India

The potential value and the problems associated with the usage of spentwash in Rampur District were studied and also their environmental impacts were discussed. The studies revealed that, though at higher doses (> 250 m3/ ha) spentwash application is found detrimental to crop growth and soil fertility, its use at lower doses (125 m3/ha) remarkably improves germination, growth and yield of dryland crops. Further, it has been revealed that conjoint application of spentwash and organic amendments (farm yard manure, green leaf manure and bio‐compost) is found suitable under dryland conditions. Large amounts of soluble salts have been found to be leached from calcareous and high pH sodic soils amended with spentwash. Notably, application of spentwash has resulted in leaching of high amounts of sodium from high pH sodic soils reflecting its potential in ameliorating these soils. However, exceptionally high loading of the leachate with organic and inorganic contaminants may pose potential risk for groundwater contamination.

Treatment of Distillery Spent‐Wash by Ozonation and Biodegradation: Significance of pH Reduction and Inorganic Carbon Removal Before Ozonation

This study is aimed at exploring strategies for mineralization of refractory compounds in distillery effluent by anaerobic biodegradation/ozonation/aerobic biodegradation. Treatment of distillery spent-wash used in this research by anaerobic-aerobic biodegradation resulted in overall COD removal of 70.8%. Ozonation of the anaerobically treated distillery spent-wash was carried out as-is (phase I experiments) and after pH reduction and removal of inorganic carbon (phase II experiments). Introduction of the ozonation step resulted in an increase in overall chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, with the highest COD removals of greater than 95% obtained when an ozone dose of approximately 5.3 mg ozone absorbed/mg initial total organic carbon was used. The COD removal during phase II experiments was slightly superior compared with phase I experiments at similar ozone doses. Moreover, efficiency of ozone absorption from the gas phase into distillery spent-wash aliquots was considerably enhanced during phase II experiments.

Enhancement of Chemical‐Oxygen Demand and Color Removal of Distillery Spent‐Wash by Ozonation

Distillery spent-wash has very high organic content (75,000 to 125,000 mg/L chemical-oxygen demand [COD]), color, and contains difficult-to-biodegrade organic compounds. For example, anaerobic treatment of the distillery spent-wash used in this study resulted in 60% COD reduction and low color removal. Subsequent aerobic treatment of the anaerobic effluent resulted in enhancement of COD removal to 66%. In this paper, the effect of ozonation on various properties of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent, including the effect on its subsequent aerobic biodegradation, was investigated. Ozonation of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent at various ozone doses resulted in the reduction of total-organic carbon (TOC), COD, COD/TOC ratio, absorbance, color, and increase in the biochemical-oxygen demand (BOD)/COD ratio of the effluent. Further, ozonation of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent at an ozone dose of 2.08 mg/mg initial TOC and subsequent aerobic biodegradation resulted in 87.4% COD removal, as compared to 66% removal when ozonation was not used.

Ultrasound pre-treatment for enhanced biodegradability of the distillery wastewater

Studies were carried out to the find out the efficacy of the ultrasonic irradiation as a pre-treatment step for the treatment of one of the polluting industrial effluents, the distillery spentwash. Experiments were carried out on the fresh and stored effluent samples. The effect of the ultrasound exposure on the biodegradability of the effluent was monitored by carrying out its subsequent aerobic oxidation. A comparison has been made between the efficacies of the pre-treated samples with the untreated samples. The results indicate that the ultrasound seems to increase the attractiveness of the conventional aerobic oxidation process by increasing their initial rates of degradation.

Influence of distillery spentwash application on the microbial population dynamics and enzyme activity of maize soil

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the impact of distillery spentwash on soil enzyme activity and microbial dynamics. The pH of the untreated spentwash was acidic whereas the treated spentwash was alkaline in nature. The total solid contents of the untreated, primary and secondary treated spentwash were 83,000, 46,000 and 31,000 mg 1 respectively. The untreated and treated spentwash were rich in plant nutrients and in addition treated spentwash recorded appreciable amount of microbial load and enhanced enzyme activity. The field experiment which was taken up with various levels of spentwash being applied as one time land application prior to crop cultivation revealed that the application of spentwash to soil grown with maize crop recorded higher amylase and catalase enzyme activity. In addition spentwash application also showed significant increase with respect to microbial population viz. bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Azotobacter. However, the effect of long term application of spentwash on physico-chemical and biological properties of soil and the impact on ground water quality should be carefully monitored.

Treatment of anaerobically digested distillery spentwash in a two-stage bioreactor using Pseudomonas putida and Aeromonas sp.

The high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the dark brown colour of the distillery spentwash even after anaerobic treatment indicates that conventional treatment methods are far from optimal in attaining the safe limits of disposal. The application of two bacterial strains, Pseudomonas putida U and Aeromonas strain Ema, in a two-stage column bioreactor to reduce COD and the colour of the anaerobically treated spentwash under aerobic conditions was studied. In the first stage, P. putida reduced the COD and colour by 44.4 and 60%. The Aeromonas strain Ema, in the second stage, reduced the COD by about 44.4%. Algal bioassay was used to evaluate the quality of spentwash before and after treatment by the two bacterial strains. The spentwash was eutrophic before experimental treatment, but, after treatment, distillery spentwash showed poor growth of the test alga even at higher spentwash concentrations.

Influence of distillery spentwash ferti-irrigation on productivity, economics and nutrient uptake in banana (Musa paradisiaca)

A field experiment was carried out in a loamy soil to study the effect of distillery spentwash ferti-irrigation under different combinations in banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) cv. Grand Naine from 2008 to 2010 at the Shanthi farm of the M/s Gemini Distilleries Pvt. Ltd., Nanjangud, Mysore. The experiment consisted of nine treatments, of which five treatments were based on nitrogen supply, three treatments on potassium supply through distillery spentwash irrigation and one recommended dose of fertilizer to banana. Application of 25% N through fertilizers plus 75% N through distillery spentwash irrigation recorded higher bunch yield (74.6 and 67.9 t/ha of main and ratoon crop, re- spectively), growth parameters, yield components, nutrients uptake and B:C ratio (4.79 and 8.07, respectively) as compared to other treatments.

Performance of anaerobic contact filter in series for treating distillery spentwash

Investigations were carried out by using rigid polyurethane foam as a packing material in the anaerobic contact filter (series) to treat distillery spentwash. The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) in treatment efficiency of reactor (I) and (II) was evaluated at different initial substrate concentrations ranging from 1500 mg/l to 19,000 mg/l. The effect of toxic parameters such as sulphate present in the distillery spentwash and the corresponding parameters such as total sulphide and un-ionized hydrogen sulphide generated during digestion of wastewater were evaluated to assess the reactor performance. The results showed that at 4 d HRT the overall COD removal percent ranged from 98% to 73% for an influent COD of 1500 mg/l to 19,000 mg/l. The overall performance of COD removal percent in reactor (I) and (II) at 2, 3 and 4 d HRT's were investigated. At 3 d HRT the reactor (II) showed a higher COD removal percent when compared to reactor (I), which clearly shows the role of hydraulic retention time in degradation of the organic matter present in the wastewater above an influent COD concentration of 5000 mg/l.