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Sugar Mill Wastes-Characteristics and their Management

Dr. Shivakumara, M. N.1*, Dr. Jagadeesha, G. S.2 and Dr. Shivakumara, C.3

1&3College of Horticulture, Mudigere (UAHS, Shivamogga) 2UAS Bengaluru

Corresponding Author

Dr. Shivakumara, M. N.

Email: mnshivakumara@gmail.com

Keywords

Sugarcane, Sugar, Waste, Management.

How to cite this article:

INTRODUCTION

Sugar industry in India

ugar industry is one of the most

important and second largest agro based

industries next to Cotton textiles in India

and is highly responsible for creating

significant impact on rural economy in

particular and countries economy in general.

Sugar consumption rate is highest in India as

shown in the statistics received from USDA

Foreign Agricultural Service.

• Cultivated area = 4.3

million hectares

• Production = 325

million tonnes

• Productivity = 77

tonnes per hectares.

There are 664 sugar mills in India and

58 sugar factories in Karnataka

The first sugar mill in India was set up

in 1903 at Pratapur in UP.

The maximum sugarcane growing

states is Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and

Andhra Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

contributes 42% and 20% of the overall

sugar production in the nation.

S

ABSTRACT

Sugarcane is the world's largest crop. It is cultivated on about 23.8 M.ha in more than 90

countries, with a worldwide harvest of 1.69 billion tonnes (FAO, 2011). Brazil (22%) is the

largest producer of sugar cane in the world next major producers; in the order are India

(15%), China, Thailand, Pakistan and Mexico. Sugarcane predominantly grows in the

tropical and subtropical regions. Sugarcane accounts for 80% of sugar produced.

OPEN ACCESS

Shivakumara, M. N., Jagadeesha, G. S. and Shivakumara, C. 2020. Sugar Mill Wastes –

Characteristics and their Management. Vigyan Varta 1(8): 29-32.

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The per cent composition of sugar mill

wastes:

Liquid wastes – 52%,

Bagasse – 28%

Mud and molasses – 3%

Ash – 1%

Sugar recovery – 13%

1. BAGASSE:

It is generated as a by-product, fibrous matter

that remains after sugarcane crushed to extract

juice. Bagasse is an extremely a homogeneous

material comprising around 30-40% of "pith"

fibre. It contains: cellulose - 45%,

hemicelluloses - 25%, lignin - 24%, ash – 5%

and waxes – 1%. Ten tonnes of sugarcane

crushed, factories produce about 3 tonnes of

wet bagasse as a by-product. It has high

moisture content of 40-50 %, which is

detrimental to use it as a fuel. For electricity

production, the bagasse is dried and used and

for paper and pulp production- the bagasse is

stored at wet condition in order to remove the

short pith fibres.

Uses of Bagasse:

• Generation of electricity

(Cogeneration )

• Fuel source for sugar mills

• Substitute for plywood, partitions,

furniture

• Mushroom cultivation

• Paper production, tissue paper

making etc.

Bagasse is importantly used in electricity

production by Cogeneration concept.

In a conventional power plant, fuel is burnt in a

boiler to generate high-pressure steam. This

steam is used to drive a turbine, which in turn

drives an alternator through a steam turbine to

produce electric power. The potential of power

generation from co-generation in India is more

than 20,000 MW. Since India is the largest

producer of sugar in the world, bagasse-based

cogeneration is being promoted.

2. MOLASSES:

Molasses is a dark brown viscous liquid

obtained as a by-product of SUGARCANE

while processing. It contains nearly 45%

uncrystallized, fermentable SUGAR and some

sucrose. It is a valued by-product of the

SUGAR INDUSTRY. Molasses on distillation

produces rectified spirit, denatured spirit and

alcohol/ethanol. It is used for sweetening and

flavouring foods like cookies, pies, gingerbread

and others. It is used as a principle ingredient in

the distillation of rum. It is also used as feed for

farm animals and Molasses is added to some

brands of tobacco used for smoking (e.g.:

hookah, shisha, narghile etc.). Molasses also

used in pressmud composting.

Chemical use of molasses: Used as the carbon

source for in-situ remediation of chlorinated

hydrocarbons like trichloro-ethane, vinyl

chloride etc. Molasses is blended with

magnesium chloride and used for de-icing.

Industrial use molasses: Used as a chelating

agent to remove rust (mixture of 1 part molasses

and 9 parts water). Ink rollers on printing

presses were originally cast using a mixture of

molasses and glue.

Molasses are widely used in Ethanol

production:

Molasses id a colourless, flammable liquid

which is produced from the fermentation of

sugar, it is used as ‘Drinking alcohol’ or ‘Pure

alcohol’, used as antiseptic and in some

antibacterial soaps and wipes. Fuel for rocket

and other motor vehicles. Used to make other

important chemicals. Used in paint, permanent

markers, perfumes and deodorants.

3. PRESS MUD OR FILTER CAKE:

Press mud is a by-product of sugar industry.

For every 100 tonnes of sugarcane crushed

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about 3 tonnes of press mud cake is obtained.

About 5.2 million tonnes of Press mud is being

produced in our country every year.

Press mud contains sizable quantity of macro

(1.1-3% N, 0.6-3.5% P, 0.30-1.8% K) and

micro nutrients, besides 20-25% of organic

carbon. Press mud is widely used in compost

production. Press mud contains sizable quantity

of macro (1.1-3% N, 0.6-3.5% P, 0.30-1.8% K)

and micro nutrients, besides 20-25% of organic

carbon. Press mud is widely used in compost

production.

Uses of Press mud:

• It is mixed with distillery effluent helps

to reduce toxic effect of effluent,

minimize the BOD and COD contents

which enriches its nutritional values

and makes one of the best organic

manure.

• Application of enriched press mud,

either alone or in conjunction with

biofertilizers recorded higher

sugarcane yield and sugar recovery.

• This has also mitigated the need to treat

the Distillery effluent and save money

spent for its treatment.

• Press mud contains trace quantity of

micronutrients and prevents soil

erosion, crusting and cracking, adjusts

soil pH, improves drainage and

promotes normal bacterial and

microbial growth in the soil.

• It is used as both soil reclaimant (red

loamy soil) as well as soil conditioner.

• It should be broadcasted followed by

ploughing and irrigation.

• Application of press mud at 40t ha-1 is

reported to reduce the pH of red loamy

soil from 8.55 to 7.60.

4. SPENT WASH:

Waste water generated by distilleries during the

distillation and fermented molasses to ethyl

alcohol using specific strains of yeast.

It is Potential polluting agent because it is

highly acidic (pH < 4.0), high BOD and COD

and high dissolved solids and organic matter

content. Hence, it has to be subjected to further

treatments before use / disposal.

Treatment of spent wash:

Anaerobic digestion, activated sludge

treatment and trickling filtration

methods are used for waste water

treatment.

In anaerobic digestion the dissolved

organic solids are transferred into

methane, carbon dioxide, small

amounts of other gasses

In trickling filtration and in activated

sludge treatment the microbial

population utilises oxygen dissolved in

the waste water to oxidise the dissolved

organic matter to carbon dioxide and

water.

Spent wash use - Pre-sown one time

application of spent wash as organic liquid

manure for dry land agriculture.

CONCLUSION:

Sugarcane is a multi-product crop and has

immense potential for diversification. The

utilization of sugarcane industry wastes/by-

products like bagasse, molasses, pressmud and

spent wash will generate an economic benefit

and sustain growth to industry. As per the

analysis, one can safely conclude that on the

whole sugar mills donot comply with the

REFERENCES:

ABDUL, R. M., SUHAIL, A. S. AND

ANSARI, A. K., 2006, Sugar industry

effluent- characteristics and chemical

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analysis, J. App. Em. Sc., 1(2): 152-

157.

AIGBODION, V. S., HASSAN, S. B., AUSE,

T. AND NYIOR, G. B., 2010,

Potential utilization of solid waste

(Bagasse), J. Min. Mate. Char. Eng.,

9(1): 67-77.

Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO),

2011, Crop production, www.fao.org/

003.

RAIS, M. AND SHEORAN, A., 2015,

Treatment of sugarcane industry

effluents: science and technology

issues, M. Rais Int. J. Eng. Res. App.,

5(2): 11-19.

SARANRAJ, P. AND STELLA, D., 2014,

Composting of sugar mill wastes: a

review, World Appl. Sci. J., 31(12):

2029-2044.