Treatment and reuse of wastes of a vegetable oil refinery

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2003, Vol.37 (2), p.101-117
• Main Authors: Pandey, R.A, Sanyal, P.B, Chattopadhyay, N, Kaul, S.N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Effluent treatment; Exact sciences and technology; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Industrial wastewaters; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Pollution; Pollution and sludges; Solid wastes; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Vanaspati; Vegetable oil; Wastes; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/S0921-3449(02)00071-X

An industry manufacturing refined vegetable oil and hydrogenated vegetable oil (vanaspati) with a capacity of 58.5 tonnes/day generated wastewaters and solid wastes (viz. spent earth, spent catalyst, chemical and biological sludges). The wastewater streams were mainly from vat house after soap splitting, floor washing, cooling tower, boiler and filter press. The chemical composition of the wastewater from cooling tower and boiler sections and solid wastes indicated that these wastes could be recycled and reused in the process after preliminary treatment. The combined wastewater from other streams was being treated in the existing effluent treatment plant (ETP) and the treated effluent was not conforming to the limits prescribed for discharge into inland surface water as stipulated by Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. After adoption of some of the suggested measures, the treatment efficiency of the existing ETP improved and treated effluent conformed to the prescribed limits for discharge into inland surface water. The recycle, recovery and reuse of the wastes were adopted in the industry in order to achieve zero discharge for economical and ecological gains.