Distillery Effluent Treatment Using Membrane Bioreactor Technology Utilising Pseudomonas Fluorescens

Abstract

Distilleries produce vast amounts of contaminated effluents which if disposed to the water bodies will pose environmental problems hence need to treat this effluent. A membrane bioreactor with Pseudomonas fluorescens as a decolorizing micro-organism was employed for treatment of distillery effluent over 10 days. The effluent pH changed from being acidic (4.2-5.0) to neutral (7.3-8.0). The effluent BOD, COD, TDS and TSS was significantly reduced by more than 90%. The membrane bioreactor sufficiently improved the effluent water quality parameters due to the degradation of the organics and removal of the suspended matter through microfiltration. Membrane bioreactor technology can be used for treatment of distillery effluents.