Comparative performance evaluation of aerobic treatment technologies on food industry effluent

Amongst growing concern on depleting water resources and surface water pollution, industrial sectors in India are in dilemma, especially food and fruit processing industries. Traditionally, food industries contribute majorly, both in water consumption and discharge of effluent with high percentage of organic content. Unsupervised and unregulated operation of these units has significantly contributed in aggravating water pollution in India, and continues to do so. However, treatment of the food and fruit processing waste water is possible, but the important issue is to choose efficient and economically viable treatment technology for the specific type of waste water. Thus, this article has tried to dwell on this issue by undertaking lab scale comparative performance analysis of few aerobic treatment technologies (Stabilization Pond, Activated Sludge Process, Fluidized Aerobic Biological Reactor and Rotating Biological Contractor) on food and fruit processing industry effluent. The study was conducted at same organic loading rate and the performance of the technology is find out on the basis of the HRT and highest COD and BOD reduction rate. Study results indicates that fluidized aerobic biological reactor shows the highest COD and BOD reduction with lowest HRT as compare to other technology, whereas activated sludge process shows 84.76% COD and 90.76% BOD reduction in 9 days HRT. The lowest COD and BOD reduction was shown by rotating biological contractor and stabilization pond.