Effects of Dairy
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN DAIRY PROCESSING
The dairy industry handles large volumes of milk, and the major waste material from processing is the water. The water removed from the milk can contain considerable amounts of organic milk products and minerals. In addition cleaning of plant results in caustic wastewater. This article discusses the impact wastewater would have if released in the environment, methods to minimise the amount of both the organic and inorganic material in the wastewater, and methods of reducing the total volume of wastewater released. These methods involve improved techniques of recovering dissolved material and greater recycling of water.
INTRODUCTION
The dairy industry like other industries in New Zealand has come under increasing pressure to improve its environmental performance. The pressures for change in New Zealand have come from changes in environmental legislation, trade negotiations and customers who are concerned about the conditions in which the product they are purchasing is manufactured.
This article describes the effects of dairy processing operations on the environment , wastewater sources and characteristics, wastewater treatment, and air emissions .
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Effects on water
The Organic Components
The organic components of the wastewater from dairy processing operations can be classified as proteins, lactose and fat. These will affect the environment in different ways depending on their biodegradability and their solubility.
(a) River Oxygen Levels and BOD5
The organic components in dairy processing wastewater are highly biodegradable. In waterways, bacteria will consume the organic components of the waste.
The process of biodegradation in waterways consumes oxygen according to the following equation: Organic Material + O2 → CO2 + H2O + Bacteria
Measures of the amount of oxygen that are consumed by bacteria are the Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and the chemical oxygen demand (COD).
The dairy industry handles large volumes of milk, and the major waste material from processing is the water. The water removed from the milk can contain considerable amounts of organic milk products and minerals. In addition cleaning of plant results in caustic wastewater. This article discusses the impact wastewater would have if released in the environment, methods to minimise the amount of both the organic and inorganic material in the wastewater, and methods of reducing the total volume of wastewater released. These methods involve improved techniques of recovering dissolved material and greater recycling of water.
INTRODUCTION
The dairy industry like other industries in New Zealand has come under increasing pressure to improve its environmental performance. The pressures for change in New Zealand have come from changes in environmental legislation, trade negotiations and customers who are concerned about the conditions in which the product they are purchasing is manufactured.
This article describes the effects of dairy processing operations on the environment , wastewater sources and characteristics, wastewater treatment, and air emissions .
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Effects on water
The Organic Components
The organic components of the wastewater from dairy processing operations can be classified as proteins, lactose and fat. These will affect the environment in different ways depending on their biodegradability and their solubility.
(a) River Oxygen Levels and BOD5
The organic components in dairy processing wastewater are highly biodegradable. In waterways, bacteria will consume the organic components of the waste.
The process of biodegradation in waterways consumes oxygen according to the following equation: Organic Material + O2 → CO2 + H2O + Bacteria
Measures of the amount of oxygen that are consumed by bacteria are the Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and the chemical oxygen demand (COD).