Wastewater Treatments for the Food Industry: Biological Systems

This chapter provides a general overview of biological wastewater remediation systems in the food industry. Water reuse systems are becoming more and more interesting and promising technologies, depending on merely quantitative estimations, physical and chemical features of pollutants and the variability of these characteristics, week after week. Different systems are available for the food industry. Several of these remediation systems may be subdivided into four categories depending on the peculiar removal operation, including biological systems. Biological techniques aim to reduce organic loads and the remaining suspended materials in wastewaters from primary processes (after a preliminary removal of oils and solids) by means of aerobic, anaerobic or hybrid solutions. Soluble and non-soluble pollutants and nutrients based on nitrogen and/or phosphorus are biologically degraded and converted in different and less hazardous compounds.