Sustainable Water Use in a Fruit Processing Plant: Evaluation of Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Wash Water after Application of a Modular Water Recovery System

Piotr Kanarek (), Barbara Breza-Boruta, Wojciech Poćwiardowski and Joanna Szulc ()
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Piotr Kanarek: Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Barbara Breza-Boruta: Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Wojciech Poćwiardowski: Department of Food Industry Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Joanna Szulc: Department of Food Industry Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: The reuse of wash water in the agri-food industry is in line with sustainability goals through the reduction of the water footprint. Depending on the production process and raw material type, wash waters may exhibit severe biological and physicochemical contamination. The use of traditional methods of chlorine disinfection of water may be linked to the formation of hazardous by-products. The recycling of contaminated water should be supported by the evaluation of physicochemical and microbiological parameters before and after application of a treatment to validate the process. This study aimed to assess physicochemical and microbiological properties of rinse water from a post-harvest processing plant before and after applying an innovative modular water treatment system. The test material was washing water after apple rinsing obtained from a post-harvest processing plant (Northern Poland). The water recovery system included a wash water tank, a sand pre-filter, an ultrafiltration system, and an ozonation tank. No microorganisms were found in the treated water. The physicochemical properties of the water were also improved: pH, conductivity, turbidity, ammonium ion, bromide, and nitrate content. The results indicate that rinse water from the fruit industry may be effectively purified using the tested purification system and reused in production processes.

Keywords: wash water; agri-food processing; closed-loop economy; water treatment; sustainable production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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