Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dairy wastewater treatment using water treatment sludge as coagulant: a novel treatment approach

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dairy industry is among the most polluting industries as it produces large volume of wastewater that may adversely affect the environment if discharged untreated. Dairy wastewater is characterized by high COD, BOD and nutrient levels. In this study, water treatment sludge was used as a coagulant for the treatment of synthetic dairy wastewater in the pH range of 4–10. Turbidity, COD, BOD, TSS and TDS removals from the synthetic dairy wastewater were found to be around 93, 65, 67, 84 and 85%, respectively, at the optimum conditions. Water treatment sludge was found to perform even better than other conventional coagulants used for the same. Results showed that it has the potential to substitute the conventional coagulants partially or fully in the primary treatment of dairy wastewater. The utilization of water treatment sludge at dairy wastewater treatment plants would provide sustainable sludge management and cost-effective dairy wastewater treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmad, T., Ahmad, K., Ahad, A., & Alam, M. (2016a). Characterization of water treatment sludge and its reuse as coagulant. Journal of Environmental Management, 182, 606–611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad, T., Ahmad, K., & Alam, M. (2016b). Sustainable management of water treatment sludge through 3 ‘R’ concept. Journal of Cleaner Production, 124, 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Public Health Association (APHA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and Water Environmental Federation (WEF). (1998). In L. Clesceri, A. Greenberg, & A. Eaton (Eds.), Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (20th ed.). Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amirtharajah, A., & O’Melia, C. R. (1990). Coagulation processes: Destabilization, mixing, and flocculation, water quality and treatment (4th ed., pp. 269–371). New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin, M. M. (2002). Water chemistry. New York: McGraw Hill International Edition.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demirel, B., Yenigun, O., & Onay, T. T. (2005). Anaerobic treatment of dairy wastewaters: A review. Process Biochemistry, 40, 2583–2595.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duan, J., & Gregory, J. (2003). Coagulation by hydrolyzing metal salts. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 100–102, 475–502.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guan, X.-H., Chen, G.-H., & Shang, C. (2005). Re-use of water treatment works sludge to enhance particulate pollutant removal from sewage. Water Research, 39, 3433–3440.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, P. R. (1997). Dairy India (5th ed.). Anand: National Dairy Development Board.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamdani, A., Chennaoui, M., Assobhei, O., & Mountadar, M. (2004). Dairy effluent characterization and treatment by coagulation decantation. Le Lait, 84(3), 317–328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herrington, B. L. (1948). Milk and milk processing. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karadag, D., Köroglu, O. E., Ozkaya, B., & Cakmakci, M. (2015). A review on anaerobic biofilm reactors for the treatment of dairy industry wastewater. Process Biochemistry, 50, 262–271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J., Jarvis, P., & Judd, S. J. (2012). An economic assessment of coagulant recovery from water treatment residuals. Desalination, 287, 132–137.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. G., Kim, J. H., Moon, H., Chon, C., & Ahn, J. S. (2002). Removal capacity of water plant alum sludge for phosphorus in aqueous solution. Chemical Speciation & Bioavailability, 14, 67–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S., Park, N., Kim, T., & Park, H. (2007). Reaggregation of flocs in coagulation-cross-flow microfiltration. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 133(5), 507–514.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kushwaha, J. P., Srivastava, V. C., & Mall, I. D. (2010a). Treatment of dairy wastewater by commercial activated carbon and bagasse fly ash: Parametric, kinetic and equilibrium modelling, disposal studies. Bioresource technology, 101, 3474–3483.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kushwaha, J. P., Srivastava, V. C., & Mall, I. D. (2010b). Organics removal from dairy wastewater by electrochemical treatment and residue disposal. Separation and Purification Technology, 76, 198–205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kushwaha, J. P., Srivastava, V. C., & Mall, I. D. (2010c). Treatment of dairy wastewater by inorganic coagulants: Parametric and disposal studies. Water Research, 44, 5867–5874.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kushwaha, J. P., Srivastava, V. C., & Mall, I. D. (2011). An overview of various technologies for the treatment of dairy wastewaters. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 51, 442–452.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. D., Lee, S. H., Jo, M. H., Park, P. K., Lee, J. H., & Kwak, J. W. (2000). Effect of coagulation conditions on membrane filtration characteristics in coagulation-microfiltration process for water treatment. Environmental Science and Technology, 34, 3780–3788.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair, A. T., & Ahammed, M. M. (2015). The reuse of water treatment sludge as a coagulant for post-treatment of UASB reactor treating urban wastewater. Journal of Cleaner Production, 96, 272–281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qasim, W., & Mane, A. V. (2013). Characterization and treatment of selected food industrial effluents by coagulation and adsorption techniques. Water Resources and Industry, 4, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramasamy, E. V., Gajalakshmi, S., Sanjeevi, R., Jithesh, M. N., & Abbasi, S. A. (2004). Feasibility studies on the treatment of dairy wastewaters with upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors. Bioresource technology, 93, 209–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, M., & Bhole, A. G. (2002). Removal of organic matter from dairy industry wastewater using low-cost adsorbents. Journal of Indian Chemical Engineering Section A, 44(1), 25–28.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rico Gutierrez, J. L., Garcia Encina, P. A., & Fdz-Polanco, F. (1991). Anaerobic treatment of cheese-production wastewater using a UASB reactor. Bioresource Technology, 37, 271–276.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar, B., Chakrabarti, P. P., Vijaykumar, A., & Kale, V. (2006). Wastewater treatment in dairy industries—Possibility of reuse. Desalination, 195, 141–152.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Selmer-Olsen, E., Ratanweera, H. C., & Pehrson, R. (1996). A novel treatment process for dairy wastewater with chitosan produced from shrimp-shell waste. Water Science and Technology, 11, 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengil, A., & Ozacar, M. (2006). Treatment of dairy wastewaters by electrocoagulation using mild steel electrodes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 137, 1197–1205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tchamango, S., Nanseu-Njiki, C. P., Ngameni, E., Hadjiev, D., & Darchen, A. (2010). Treatment of dairy effluents by electrocoagulation using aluminium electrodes. Science of the Total Environment, 408, 947–952.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vourch, M., Balannec, B., Chaufer, B., & Dorange, G. (2008). Treatment of dairy industry wastewater by reverse osmosis for water reuse. Desalination, 219, 190–202.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, G. R., Yan, Z. C., Wang, Y. C., & Wang, N. (2009). Recycle of Alum recovered from water treatment sludge in chemically enhanced primary treatment. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 161, 663–669.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi, India

    Alok Suman, Tarique Ahmad & Kafeel Ahmad

Authors
  1. Alok Suman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tarique Ahmad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kafeel Ahmad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tarique Ahmad.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Suman, A., Ahmad, T. & Ahmad, K. Dairy wastewater treatment using water treatment sludge as coagulant: a novel treatment approach. Environ Dev Sustain 20, 1615–1625 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-017-9956-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-017-9956-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation