Evaluating the Performance of a Wastewater Treatment Plant of a Dairy Facility in Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Juan Pablo Pereira Lima and André Aguiar ()
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Juan Pablo Pereira Lima: Institute of Natural Resources, Federal University of Itajubá, Av. Benedito Pereira dos Santos, 1303, Itajubá 37500-903, MG, Brazil
André Aguiar: Institute of Natural Resources, Federal University of Itajubá, Av. Benedito Pereira dos Santos, 1303, Itajubá 37500-903, MG, Brazil

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: Dairy wastewater is highly polluting and requires treatment before being discharged into receiving surface waters or destined for reuse. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at a dairy facility, which includes the following treatment stages: screening, grease trap, and an upflow anaerobic filter (UAF). Monitoring data from a WWTP at a dairy situated in the southern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were assessed based on pollutant removal efficiency in accordance with Brazilian environmental regulations. The results showed that the WWTP achieved average removal efficiencies of 96.2% for COD and 97.1% for BOD 5 . The BOD 5 /COD ratio of raw and treated wastewater averaged 0.46 and 0.30, respectively, indicating preferential removal of the biodegradable organic fraction. The treated wastewater complied with legal standards for pH, settleable solids, and total suspended solids. However, at least one sample did not meet regulatory limits for discharge into water bodies regarding surfactants and oils & greases. Strong linear correlations (R 2 ~0.8) between COD and BOD 5 data were observed for both raw and treated wastewater. While the treated wastewater was not suitable for use in the facility’s wood-fired boiler, it may be reused for agricultural irrigation.

Keywords: dairy wastewater; wastewater treatment plant; performance evaluation; reuse; environmental legislation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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