Characterization of Dairy Effluents by Physicochemical Parameters

Aims: The dairy industry faces growing scrutiny of its environmental stewardship. The potential impact of an individual operation on the environment varies with animal concentration, weather, terrain, soils, and numerous other conditions. It is hoped that management practices found on dairy industry will benefit by the management practices. So properly applied the Management Practices, the factual study of dairy effluent by various physico-chemical characters concern for environmental health and safety.

Study Design: Effluent samples were collected from dairy industries. The samples were characterized by physical parameters like pH, temperature, TS, etc. and chemical parameters BOD, COD, DO etc.

Place and Duration of Study: Effluent samples were collected from dairy industry of district Kolhapur Maharashtra (India).Physico-chemical characteristics of the effluent during the months between March to August 2011.

Methodology: Total 4 samples of dairy effluents were collected by composite sampling at the time 9, 12, 3, 6 o’clock per day and stored at 4oc for further analysis. Then on the next day in quintet it was subjected to analyze the physicochemical parameters like Temperature, pH, DO, TDS, TSS, TS, BOD, COD, chloride, Sulphate, oil and Grease.

Results: The study revealed that the dairy effluent is slightly alkaline in nature, and high temperature, BOD & COD values obtained by the analysis of dairy effluents indicate the presence of heavy load of organic substances. Also a higher temperature and oils and Greases which lower the dissolved oxygen activities can cause serious problems in disposal of waste water. Above the standard value suspended and dissolved organic solids are responsible for creating nuisance.

Conclusion: Dairy industry tested in this study was found high levels of pH, BOD, COD, TSS It is very important that proper waste water treatment systems should be installed for the protection of the environmental health and for the ecological balance.