Levantamento de carga orgânica, redox, temperatura e pH dos principais efluentes de uma indústria de bebidas do Ceará

Abstract

The liquid waste from beverage production industries stands out for its high concentration of sugar, variable pH, and redox, in addition to having a considerable organic load, measured by parameters such as Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). Given this complexity, it is essential to subject the effluents generated in the production chain to intensive and appropriate treatment before returning them to the environment. Based on this information, the present study aims to survey and map the main sources of organic load in a beverage industry in the state of Ceará, specialized in beer and soft drinks. The main discharges were identified after monitoring the entire production chain, resulting in 62 sources generating impactful effluent for the Treatment Station of the studied unit. From the identified points, samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for COD, pH, temperature, and redox potential analyses. The results showed a significant variability in the pH, redox, and temperature characteristics of each effluent, according to the emission source. Additionally, the data collected indicate that the studied industry has the capacity to generate 22,554.13 kgCOD/day. Of this total generation, the Management Unit with the highest value contributed is the Beer Process, with 64% of the load, and the brewhouse is the sub-area with the greatest impact within the Beer Process. Given the heterogeneity of the evaluated discharges, it can be concluded that a complete and adequate equalization of all effluents is essential before adopting the best and most efficient treatment at the Effluent Treatment Station (BTS) of the unit with a minimum removal capacity of 22,554.13 kgCOD/day. Additionally, measures of control, containment, and reduction in the Beer Process area, which showed the greatest impact in this study, should be taken.