Diagnóstico do gerenciamento de efluentes da produção de queijos em agroindústrias no sudoeste do Paraná

Abstract

Whey is a by-product in the cheese industry, however it is a pollutant when disposed of irregularly, due to its high load of organic matter, which can cause problems such as eutrophication, biological contamination and salinization of water bodies. Disposal without treatment can be recurrent in small and medium-sized agroindustries, as conventional forms of treatment such as anaerobic and aerobic treatment are expensive both for implementation and maintenance, making it often unfeasible for small establishments. This work aimed to draw a social and environmental profile of these small and medium-sized agro-industries, to verify how whey is discarded and to look for alternative treatments that are financially viable and easy to survive. A complex of 19 questions was prepared, divided nto three blocks, the first on social aspects, the second on property and production and finally the waste generated. This judgment was sent to Aprosud – Association of Artisanal Cheese Producers of Southwest Paraná, and 1 responses were collected among the 18 associates. According to the data collection, 63.60% are agro-industries with up to 3 employees, where part of the whey generated is used for animal feed and the other part is discarded, and only 36.40% of the agro-industries use whey of milk in the manufacture of other products. A technique suggestion for the treatment of this waste would be the constructed flooded systems, as they are financially viable and have been left in the treatment of this waste.