Wastewater treatment in molasses-based alcohol distilleries for COD and color removal: A review

Molasses-based distilleries are one of the most polluting industries generating large volumes of high strength wastewater. Different processes covering anaerobic, aerobic as well as physico-chemical methods have been employed to treat this effluent. Anaerobic treatment is the most attractive primary treatment due to over 80% BOD removal combined with energy recovery in the form of biogas. Further treatment to reduce residual organic load and color includes various: (i) biological methods employing different fungi, bacteria and algae, and (ii) physico-chemical methods such as adsorption, coagulation/precipitation, oxidation and membrane filtration.This work presents a review of the existing status and advances in biological and physico-chemical methods applied to the treatment of molasses-based distillery wastewater. Both laboratory and pilot/industrial studies have been considered. Furthermore, limitations in the existing processes have been summarized and potential areas for further investigations have been discussed.