Distellery spent wash (DSW) treatment methodogies and challenges with special reference to incineration: An overview

Abstract

Biofuels are derived from renewable bio-mass resources and, therefore, provide a strategic advantage to promote sustainable development and to supplement conventional energy sources in meeting the rapidly increasing requirements for transportation fuels associated with high economic growth, as well as in meeting the energy needs of India's vast rural population. India is major producer of potable and industrial alcohols. The majority of distilleries use molasses as a feed stock. Ethyl alcohol is an important feed stock for the manufacturer of various chemicals. The effluent from the distillery is described as spent wash/vinasse. It was recognized in 2001 by the CPCB that concentrating or drying the spent wash and burning it with ancillary fuel, with energy recovery in the form of steam, is the most attractive alternative as a fertilizer. Distillery Spent Wash (DSW) is a rich source of organic matter and nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and sulfur. In addition, it contains sufficient amount of micro-nutrients such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, boron, and molybdenum. Vinasse incineration can claim to be the best viable solution to treat distillery vinasse economically to meet the zero liquid discharge target of the industry. This review indicates that a wide range of biological as well as physicochemical treatments, over the years for the treatment of distillery spent wash. No single technology can be employed for absolute treatment of distillery spent wash. There is a need to use a mix of treatment options with adequate protocols and guidelines so that spentwash can be gainfully utilized for biogas generation, biocompost, ferti-irrigation, one time land application, irrigation, sodic land reclamation and co-processing.

Distillery spent wash treatment technologies: A case study of the comparative efficiency of aerobic and anaerobic treatment processes

“…In this process the wastewater is treated in a single tank using acidification, methane fermentation and sludge thickening processes without any heat and mixing (Bhardwaj et al, 2019).…”

Development of laboratory model of fluidized bed gasifier for low density leafy biomass

“…It is guesstimated that about one third of this or 100 million tons of residues are not being utilized and are disposed of by burning them in the open fields (NPCMR, 2014). Unsustainable management practices of biomass waste would create high adverse environmental impacts (Ross, 2018;ruhela et al, 2020;Bhardwaj et al, 2019). Energy can be harvested from a biomass, a significant renewable energy source forever.…”

Biomethanated distillery spentwash application and its impact on soil health, growth and yield of Elephant foot yam

“…The positive effect of spent wash on crop production is well recorded (Rajagopal et al, 2014;Pugazh et al, 2016) reported that total chlorophyll content, crop growth rate (CGR), total dry matter, and nutrient uptake all rose when distillery effluent was added (N, P and K). It was discovered that a one-time controlled application of diluted spentwash improved soil fertility and agricultural yields (Chandraju et al, 2013;Chopra et al, 2013;Bhardwaj et al, 2019;Ruhela et al, 2020). The availability of nutrients in distillery effluents, as well as the prospect of substituting them for inorganic fertiliser in agriculture, holds a lot of promise (Joshi and Singh, 2010).…”