Feasibility Study of Dairy Waste Water Using Uasb with Water Hyacinth and Poultry Litter

R.Thenmozhi , Dr.R.N.Uma

Abstract

Water resources are of significant importance to human beings. The present investigation was carried out for biodegradation of dairy effluent by using selected biodegradable materials  such as water hyacinth and poultry litter. These materials were collected from ukkadam lake and poultry farms in pachapalayam. Dairy industries discharge wastewater which is characterized by high chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, nutrients, organic and inorganic contents. Such wastewaters, if discharged without proper treatment, severely pollute receiving water bodies and disrupts complete ecosystem. If this wastewater is treated by anaerobic process a useful by-product, biogas can be obtained. It is well known fact that, global depletion of energy supply due to the continuing over-utilization is a major problem of the present and future world community. It is estimated that the fossil fuels will be exhausted in the next few decades. UASB technology helps to treat the wastewater and produce biogas efficiently.

This work accesses the possibility of using water hyacinth and poultry litter in UASB reactors applied to the treatment of dairy wastewater and production of biogas. In one reactor, dairy wastewater was co-digested with poultry litter. It was observed that the percentage of COD reduced was 78.08% and the biogas collection was600 ml at 40^th day.In other reactor, dairy wastewater was co-digested with a mixture of water hyacinth and cow dung. Cow dung was used as seed sludge in this case. It was observed that the percentage of COD reduced was 75.08% and the biogas collection was 430 ml at 40^th day.