special emphasis on removal of heavy metals from EDCs reaches complex distillery
waste. We also discuss the challenges for the elimination of inorganic and organic
compounds from distillery waste as well as contaminated sites, and we provide some
information on costs. Furthermore, the use of a two-step sequential treatment
approach for the treatment of distillery effluent is highlighted.
2 Distillery Waste and Its Physicochemical Characteristics
Currently, safe disposal of distillery waste into the environment is of paramount
importance due to the existence of toxic complex inorganic and organic compounds
(Chandra and Kumar 2017a, b). Distillery effluent has a very high organic load, high
TDS, unpleasant odor, and dark-brown color. The main components of these
complex effluent are carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, proteins, fatty acids,
melanoidins and sometimes lignin, and their fragmentary products, while the inorganic constituents include large concentrations of Na+, NO 3
2À
, S 2
À , chloride (Cl-),
potassium (K), phosphorus (P), ammonium salts, and toxic HMs, viz., Zn, Fe, Mn,
Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd (Chandra et al. 2012; Chaturvedi et al. 2006). Distillery waste is
broadly divided into two categories: (i) distillery effluent and (ii) distillery sludge.
2.1 Distillery Effluent
Distillery effluent is characterized by high level of BOD, COD, TDS, and phenolics,
with strong odor, alkaline pH, and dark-brown color. It also contains a high amount
of N, K, and P which can lead to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystem (Chowdhary
et al. 2017; Sowmeyan and Swaminathan 2008). In addition, distillery effluent also
retains a huge amount of Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Cd (Bharagava and Chandra
2010a; Tiwari et al. 2013). The refractory nature of distillery effluent is due to the
existence of various MW melanoidins, caramel, polyphenols, and a variety of sugar
decomposition products such as anthocyanin and tannins and diverse ROPs including EDCs (Chandra and Kumar 2017b). The physicochemical characteristics of SW
and PMDE are shown in Table 20.1.
2.2 Distillery Sludge
Distillery industry produces a huge quantity of sludge after anaerobic digestion,
whose management and disposal are environmental problems due to their polluting
characteristics. The generated sludge is enriched with various androgenic and
mutagenic compounds and other potentially toxic compounds such as melanoidins,
EDCs, resin acids, fatty acids, and HMs (Chandra and Kumar 2017a, Chandra et al.
20 Bioremediation of Melanoidins Containing Distillery Waste for. . .
499
waste. We also discuss the challenges for the elimination of inorganic and organic
compounds from distillery waste as well as contaminated sites, and we provide some
information on costs. Furthermore, the use of a two-step sequential treatment
approach for the treatment of distillery effluent is highlighted.
2 Distillery Waste and Its Physicochemical Characteristics
Currently, safe disposal of distillery waste into the environment is of paramount
importance due to the existence of toxic complex inorganic and organic compounds
(Chandra and Kumar 2017a, b). Distillery effluent has a very high organic load, high
TDS, unpleasant odor, and dark-brown color. The main components of these
complex effluent are carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, proteins, fatty acids,
melanoidins and sometimes lignin, and their fragmentary products, while the inorganic constituents include large concentrations of Na+, NO 3
2À
, S 2
À , chloride (Cl-),
potassium (K), phosphorus (P), ammonium salts, and toxic HMs, viz., Zn, Fe, Mn,
Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd (Chandra et al. 2012; Chaturvedi et al. 2006). Distillery waste is
broadly divided into two categories: (i) distillery effluent and (ii) distillery sludge.
2.1 Distillery Effluent
Distillery effluent is characterized by high level of BOD, COD, TDS, and phenolics,
with strong odor, alkaline pH, and dark-brown color. It also contains a high amount
of N, K, and P which can lead to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystem (Chowdhary
et al. 2017; Sowmeyan and Swaminathan 2008). In addition, distillery effluent also
retains a huge amount of Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Cd (Bharagava and Chandra
2010a; Tiwari et al. 2013). The refractory nature of distillery effluent is due to the
existence of various MW melanoidins, caramel, polyphenols, and a variety of sugar
decomposition products such as anthocyanin and tannins and diverse ROPs including EDCs (Chandra and Kumar 2017b). The physicochemical characteristics of SW
and PMDE are shown in Table 20.1.
2.2 Distillery Sludge
Distillery industry produces a huge quantity of sludge after anaerobic digestion,
whose management and disposal are environmental problems due to their polluting
characteristics. The generated sludge is enriched with various androgenic and
mutagenic compounds and other potentially toxic compounds such as melanoidins,
EDCs, resin acids, fatty acids, and HMs (Chandra and Kumar 2017a, Chandra et al.
20 Bioremediation of Melanoidins Containing Distillery Waste for. . .
499