IMPACTS CAUSED BY THE INADEQUATE DEPOSITION OF THE RESIDUE OF THE RIO GRANDE DO NORTE AGROINDUSTRIES

The current consumer market is eager for products with great practicality and quick preparation. Among these, in recent years, a great emphasis has been given to the use of fruit pulps for the preparation of juice and other derived products. This work consists of a balance sheet of the industries making juice from fruit pulps of the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), with respect to the disposal of waste and the impact associated with the activities developed by them. The work was developed through a bibliographic research and the survey of data in 12 agro-industries of fruits processing in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, by applying a standard questionnaire. The results demonstrate a critical level with the improper disposal of waste in inappropriate places and low rates of preventive practices or the reuse of these. The management of liquid effluents is not treated with the degree of importance that is required and the exposure of emissions to the atmosphere is practically done in a grossly way, without any treatment. The paper explores such results and suggests an alternative proposal for the recycling of the wastes of those industries as food and as a food of animal origin. Key words: fruit pulps, solid wastes, agro-industries RESUMO Impactos causados pela disposição inadequada de resíduos em agroindústrias do Rio Grande do Norte. O atual mercado consumidor é ávido por produtos com grande praticidade e rápido preparo. Dentre esses, nos últimos anos, dado um grande destaque ao uso de polpas de frutas para o preparo de sucos e outros derivados. Este trabalho consiste de um balanço da situação das indústrias de beneficiamento de polpas de frutas do estado Rio Grande do Norte (Brasil), co