Chapter 20
Bioremediation of Melanoidins Containing
Distillery Waste for Environmental Safety
Vineet Kumar and Ram Chandra
Abstract Distillery waste (DW) is a major threat to the environment for its safe
disposal due to their high content of various toxic inorganic and organic compounds.
The degradation and detoxification of color-contributing compounds such as caramel, melanoidins, and plant phenolics and their metabolic products are essential
prior to disposal of DW into the environment. Distilleries employ different forms of
primary and secondary processes for effluent treatment; however, these treatment
methods are highly energy intensive and hence quite expensive. Biological methods
present an incredible alternate for decolorization and detoxification of DW due to
their environmentally friendly, low cost, and publicly acceptable treatment processes. A wide variety of aerobic microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and cyanobacteria have the ability to decolorize melanoidins containing
DW. But DW containing different types of pollutants are not easily degraded by the
single-step treatment process. Up to the present, however, no suitable method for the
promising treatment of huge amounts of DW has been developed. The present book
chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of some of the promising
bioremediation and phytoremediation approaches used for the management of
DW. Further, the use of two-step sequential approach for the treatment of DW is
highlighted. Furthermore, the challenges and future prospects of bioremediation of
DW are also discussed.
Keywords Distillery sludge · Heavy metals · Androgenic-mutagenic compounds ·
In situ phytoremediation · Vermicomposting
V. Kumar (*) · R. Chandra (*)
Department of Environmental Microbiology (DEM), School for Environmental Sciences (SES),
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh,
India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
R. N. Bharagava, G. Saxena (eds.), Bioremediation of Industrial Waste for
Environmental Safety, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3426-9_20
495
Bioremediation of Melanoidins Containing
Distillery Waste for Environmental Safety
Vineet Kumar and Ram Chandra
Abstract Distillery waste (DW) is a major threat to the environment for its safe
disposal due to their high content of various toxic inorganic and organic compounds.
The degradation and detoxification of color-contributing compounds such as caramel, melanoidins, and plant phenolics and their metabolic products are essential
prior to disposal of DW into the environment. Distilleries employ different forms of
primary and secondary processes for effluent treatment; however, these treatment
methods are highly energy intensive and hence quite expensive. Biological methods
present an incredible alternate for decolorization and detoxification of DW due to
their environmentally friendly, low cost, and publicly acceptable treatment processes. A wide variety of aerobic microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and cyanobacteria have the ability to decolorize melanoidins containing
DW. But DW containing different types of pollutants are not easily degraded by the
single-step treatment process. Up to the present, however, no suitable method for the
promising treatment of huge amounts of DW has been developed. The present book
chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of some of the promising
bioremediation and phytoremediation approaches used for the management of
DW. Further, the use of two-step sequential approach for the treatment of DW is
highlighted. Furthermore, the challenges and future prospects of bioremediation of
DW are also discussed.
Keywords Distillery sludge · Heavy metals · Androgenic-mutagenic compounds ·
In situ phytoremediation · Vermicomposting
V. Kumar (*) · R. Chandra (*)
Department of Environmental Microbiology (DEM), School for Environmental Sciences (SES),
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh,
India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
R. N. Bharagava, G. Saxena (eds.), Bioremediation of Industrial Waste for
Environmental Safety, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3426-9_20
495