Chemico‐biological treatment of dairy wastewater

Abstract

Examines the treatability of highly polluted wastewater from a dairy factory prior to its final disposal into the public sewerage system. Physical treatment of the dairy waste via aeration, followed by settling, resulted in a 25 per cent chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and elimination of odours. Chemical treatment achieved almost 50 per cent removal of COD. The chemical‐biological process using activated sludge/trickling filter resulted in 64 per cent and 90 per cent removal of the volatile organic matter value respectively. However, the quality of the waste produced does not meet with the National Regulatory Standards for wastewater disposal into the sewerage system. Chemical‐biological treatment using an upflow anaerobic reactor succeeded in reducing the pollutional parameters to coincide with the limits of the Egyptian Law 93/1962 and produces biogas as a source of energy at a rate of 0.39m³/kg COD removed.

Citation

Nasr, F.A. and El‐Kamah, H.M. (1996), "Chemico‐biological treatment of dairy wastewater", Environmental Management and Health, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 22-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/09566169610117886