Investigating the Effect of Ozone on the Biodegradability of Distillery Wastewater

The effect of ozonation on wine distillery wastewater was investigated firstly by monitoring the effect of ozonationon the composition of the wastewater and, secondly, by investigating its effect on the biodegradability of thewastewater. An average COD reduction of 271 mg COD.g O3-1 was found for wastewater from a distillery pondsystem. Stable microbial populations, which are found in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) granules, wereused to determine the toxic effect of wastewater on microbial activity. Granule activity was measured in terms ofthe rate of biogas and methane production, as well as cumulative biogas volume. Low ozone doses (200 to 400 mgO3.L-1) increased granule activity in terms of biogas, methane production, and cumulative gas volumes. Distillerywastewater reduced the activity of granules, most likely due to the presence of polyphenols and other recalcitrantcompounds in the distillery wastewater