Aerobic treatment of maize-processing wastewater (nejayote) in a single-stream multi-stage bioreactor. Issue 5 (1st September 2003)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salmerón-Alcocer, Angélica; Galíndez-Mayer, Juvencio; Rodríguez-Mendoza, Norma; Cristiani-Urbina, Eliseo; Juárez-Ramírez, Cleotilde; Ruiz-Ordaz, Nora; Pineda- Santiago, Virgen
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental engineering and science. Volume 2:Issue 5(2003)
• Page Start: 401
• Page End: 406
• Publication Date: 2003-09-01
• Subjects: multi-stage bioreactor; -- nejayote; -- biodegradation; -- cascade; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Sanitary engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental engineering -- Canada -- Periodicals; Environnement, Technique de l' -- Périodiques; Technique sanitaire -- Périodiques; Environnement, Technique de l' -- Canada -- Périodiques; Environmental engineering; Sanitary engineering; Canada; Electronic journals; Computer network resources; Periodicals; 628.05
• DOI: 10.1139/s03-046
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1496-2551

Abstract

Abstract : The manufacturing processes of tortillas, corn chips, tortilla chips, and related products yield a liquid waste called nejayote . This waste causes serious pollution problems since its chemical oxygen demand is very high, from 25000 to 30000 ppm. To reduce the pollution potential of this effluent, the use of a cascade of three continuous flow bioreactors-in-series is proposed in this work. When nejayote was supplemented with KH2 PO4 and (NH4 )2 SO4, at COD:KH2 PO4 and COD:(NH4 )2 SO4 ratios of 87 and 26, respectively, and the pH in the first stage was adjusted at 7.0 every 24 h, high removal efficiencies of COD (86.4%) and nitrogen (80.9%) were obtained. Although the treated water still requires a further treatment prior to its disposal, the proposed system is a potential alternative for nejayote treatment, since it allows a greater COD removal efficiency than those reported in the literature for equivalent organic loads.