Evaluation of the wastewater generated in the purification of biodiesel

ABSTRACT

This study quantified the pollutants in the wastewater (WW) of biodiesel. Density, number of acid, and viscosity were determined for biodiesel quality characteristics. The characterization of the effluents was performed according to the Mexican Environmental Norm. The viscosity was higher than the normalized limit (>5mm²/s). The WW had high concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS; >730 mg/l) and fat and oil (>1810 mg/l), the latter with significant differences (P > 0.05), and presented toxicity (>35000 mg/l), due to the presence of oil. Therefore these should not be discharged into the sewage networks or water bodies, considering the possible adverse effects in the environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute toxicity
• biochemical oxygen demand
• contamination
• Mexican legislation
• transesterification

Funding

To the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the financing of this project, the Center for Global Change and Sustainability in the Southeast (CCGSS) for the opportunity to carry out this work, and to the Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT) for the facilities to carry out the tests.

Additional information

Funding

To the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the financing of this project, the Center for Global Change and Sustainability in the Southeast (CCGSS) for the opportunity to carry out this work, and to the Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT) for the facilities to carry out the tests.