Biocomposting of distillery waste to control water pollution

In a developing country like India, distillery industries have become a major source of pollution, as 88% of its raw materials are converted into waste and discharged into the water bodies, causing water pollution. The waste water from distilleries carry appreciable organic load. The spent wash is colored, highly acidic with very offensive odor, which poses serious environmental problems. To overcome its ill effects and to reduce the cost of the effluent treatment, the present research has been undertaken to convert the distillery waste into compost by means of biocomposting. The present work also includes the study of abiotic factors affecting the rate of decomposition and a few innovative works have been done to improve the quantity and quality of the biocompost. Comparisons of the biocompost produced by this method with chemical fertilizers have been made and the results are encouraging.