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Review
. 2017 Mar;55(1):14-28.
doi: 10.17113/ftb.55.01.17.4520.

General Characteristics and Treatment Possibilities of Dairy Wastewater - A Review

Aleksandar Kolev Slavov  1
Affiliations
Review

General Characteristics and Treatment Possibilities of Dairy Wastewater - A Review

Aleksandar Kolev Slavov. Food Technol Biotechnol. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

The milk processing industry is one of the world's staple industries, thus the treatment possibilities of dairy effluents have been attracting more and more attention. The purpose of the paper is to review contemporary research on dairy wastewater. The origin, categories, as well as liquid by-products and general indicators of real dairy wastewater are described. Different procedures applied for dairy wastewater management are summarised. Attention is focused on in-factory treatment technologies with the emphasis on biological processes. Aerobic and anaerobic methods with both their advantages and disadvantages are discussed in detail. Consecutive anaerobic and aerobic systems are analysed, too. Finally, future research niches are identified.

Keywords: biological treatment; dairy wastewater; wastewater composition; whey.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dairy wastewater treatment options, adapted from (19)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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