Biblid: 1821-4487 (2015) 19; 3; p 136-138 Original Scientific Paper

UDK: 663.21 Originalni naučni rad

CHARACTERISATION OF WASTEWATERS FROM DIFFERENT

STAGES OF WINE PRODUCTION
KARAKTERIZACIJA OTPADNIH VODA IZ RAZLIČITIH
FAZA PROIZVODNJE VINA
Vladimir PUŠKAŠ, Uroš MILJIĆ, Bojana BAJIĆ, Zorana RONČEVIĆ, Jelena DODIĆ
University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology, Bulevar. cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
e-mail: urosmiljic@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the composition of winery wastewaters in order to gain insight into the character and
amount of pollution that is generated during the production of wine and that can cause environmental issues in the case of
inadequate and uncontrolled discharges. Thirteen samples of wastewater originating from various stages of white, rose and red wine
production process (crushing, pressing, clarification, fermentation and racking) were collected from different Serbian wineries.
Tested winery wastewaters showed a high organic load expressed as biochemical oxygen demand, BOD5 (1000-145000 mg O2/L), pH
values in range 3.5-8.5, the content of fermentable nitrogen 11-504 mg/L and total suspended solids 750-83590 mg/L. The results
indicate that tested effluents are not suitable for discharge into inland surface water and to sewer. Therefore, the obtained data will
be useful for application assessment of possible wastewater treatments.
Key words: wine, wastewater, pollution, composition, organic load, characterisation.

REZIME
Cilj ovog rada je bio da se ispita sastav efluenata vinarije kako bi se dobio uvid u karakter i količinu zagađenja koja se generiše
tokom proizvodnje vina i koja može dovesti do zagađenja životne sredine u slučaju neadekvatnog i nekontrolisanog ispuštanja. Za
istraživanje je sakupljeno trinaest uzoraka otpadnih voda iz različitih faza procesa proizvodnje belih, roze i crvenih vina (muljanje,
presovanje, bistrenje, fermentacija i pretakanje) u nekoliko srpskih vinarija. Ispitane otpadne
, BPK5 (1000-145000 mg O2/l), vrednosti pH u opsegu 3,5-8,5,
sadržaj fermentabilnog azota 11-504 mg/l i sadržaj ukupnih suspendovanih čestica 750-83590 mg/l.
-
astalih otpadnih voda. S obzirom na
visok sadržaj biorazgradivih organskih materija i nutrijenata ove otpadne vode mogu poslužiti kao sirovina za biotehnološku
proizvodnju visoko vrednih produkata.
Ključne reči: vino, otpadna voda, zagađenje, sastav, organsko opterećenje, karakterizacija.

Strong, 2008). Discharge of such polluted wastewaters into the

INTRODUCTION
The worldwide wine production was approximately 27
million m3 in 2013 (FAO, 2013). Processing of grapes and wine
production annually generate large volumes of wastewater that is
often greater than the volumes of wine produced (Bustamante et
al., 2005; Brito et al., 2007). These effluents mostly come from
different rinsing operations of winery surfaces, manufacturing
equipment and wine packaging. Production activities of the
winery are seasonally defined and peak production is in the
autumn months (Northern Hemisphere) when grape harvest and
fermentation of must or pomace are performed. The following
significant unit operations take place in the spring when racking,
clarification and filtration of wine are conducted. During the
winter and summer winery activities are kept to a minimum. In
addition to the significant volumes, wastewaters generated
during crushing and pressing of grapes, rinsing of fermentation
tanks and wine racking are characterized by a large organic load.
In general, large amount of suspended solids, high values of
chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand
(BOD), often low pH values (especially in the effluents during
harvest period), as well as the presence of coloured compounds,
are the main characteristics of these wastewaters which make
them harmful for the environment (Petruccioli et al., 2001;
environment may endanger aquatic organisms due to potential
eutrophication of inland surface waters. The vegetation and
groundwater quality could also be affected in the case of their
land disposal.
Historically, winery wastewaters were mostly irrigated onto
pastures, evaporated or drained into the nearest river. In recent
years, developed winemaking countries have made significant
progress in tightening legislative concerning discharge of these
effluents. To this end, most winemakers and wineries have
established some form of the effluent treatment rather than
simple disposal (Kumar et al., 2006; Bustamante et al., 2008;
Sheridan et al., 2011). Under South African law (Government
Gazette, 2001), winery effluent is regarded as biodegradable
industrial wastewater, and therefore, the continuous
measurement data of effluents strength and volume must be
provided by the producer. The special attention must be given to
the choice and accuracy of the method for continuous
measurement of the wastewater stream flows (Bikić and
Bukurov, 2007).
The aim of this study was to investigate the composition of
winery wastewaters since. Characterization of these effluents is
very important for finding the most suitable technique of their
purification which can ensure the reduction of their harmful
effect on the environment.

136 Journal on Processing and Energy in Agriculture 19 (2015) 3

 Puškaš, Vladimir et al. / Characterisation of Wastewaters From Different Stages of Wine Production

MATERIAL AND METHOD Table 2. Characterization of used winery wastewaters from

production of rose wine
The experiments were performed using wastewaters R1 R2 R4 R5 R6
originating from washing of equipment and winery surfaces after Dry matter
various stages of white (B), rose (R) and red (C) wine production 6300 8420 18620 7400 16700
(mg/L)
*
process. The following marks refer to the effluents obtained TSS (mg/L) 2530 3500 11190 2960 11680
after: 1-crushing, 2-pressing, 3-must clarification by flotation, 4- COD (mg/L) 20300 37000 73000 41700 105500
must clarification by cold static decantation assisted with the BOD (mg/L) 11100 17600 31350 17000 6400
addition of pectolytic enzymes, 5-fermentation and 6-racking. Fermentable
42 82 154 49 87
The wastewaters from production of each wine type (B, R nitrogen (mg/L)
and C) were collected from different Serbian medium sized pH 5.85 3.9 3.5 7.25 3.7
wineries, during vintage and post-vintage period of 2014. The Total phenols
96 130 202 85 310
total volume of washing effluents from every production phase (g/L)
was gathered in the equalization tanks, mixed and homogenized. *TSS-total suspended solids; COD- chemical oxygen
Homogenised wastewater samples were poured into bottles of demand; BOD – biological oxygen demand;
0.5 L (three bottles for each sample) and kept in the freezer until The data given in the table represent mean values of three
the analyses were carried out. The analyses have been done in replications for each parameter;
three replications. Table 3. Characterization of used winery wastewaters from
Samples of wastewater were analysed for dry matter, production of red wine
suspended solids, BOD and COD using Standard Methods C2 C5 C6
(APHA, 1998). Dry matter content was determined by Dry matter (mg/L) 5440 2256 72820
gravimetric method by drying the sample at 103-105 ºC. TSS* (mg/L) 1520 750 54400
Suspended solids were determined by centrifugation at 3000 rpm COD (mg/L) 13450 10200 151000
during 10 minutes (centrifuge Tehtnica LC-321, Slovenia); BOD (mg/L) 7250 2800 25000
supernatant was poured off and the residue was determined by Fermentable nitrogen
23 11 203
gravimetric method (drying at 103-105 ºC). The COD was (mg/L)
determined by dichromate reflux method, whereas the BOD was pH 5.9 7.1 3.5
measured using a VELP SCIENTIFICA (Usmate, Italy) BOD Total phenols (g/L) 34 39 540
system according to the manufacturer manual. The fermentable *TSS-total suspended solids; COD- chemical oxygen
nitrogen was determined by the Formol titration method demand; BOD – biological oxygen demand;
(Zoecklein et al., 1999). Total phenols content were analysed by The data given in the table represent mean values of three
replications for each parameter;
the Folin–Ciocalteu method (Singleton et al., 1999) and the
results were expressed as gallic acid equivalent. The dry matter and total suspended solids content were high
in most of analyzed effluents. About 35 % of dry matter in most
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of winery effluents was in the form of suspended solids. The
exceptions are wastewaters generated after must clarification (B3
Wastewaters from different stages of wine production were and R4) and racking of young wines (B6, R6 and C6) in which this
analysed and the obtained results are presented in the following ratio is considerably higher (60-75 %), which was expected due
tables, according to the type of wine produced: white (Table 1), to removal of considerable amounts of suspended solids from
rose (Table 2) and red wine (Table 3). The results indicate that must and wine during these two stages of vinification. It was
the average values of winery wastewater characteristics vary shown that flotation, as a technique of must clarification,
significantly regarding the stage of vinification and the type of generates wastewaters with more suspended solids than cold
wine produced. static decantation assisted with the addition of pectolytic
enzymes. The high amount of suspended solids is often an issue
Table 1. Characterization of used winery wastewaters from for realization of efficient and cost-effective wastewater
production of white wine treatment. Often used biological treatment techniques (especially
B1 B2 B3 B5 B6 anaerobic digestion) require prior removal of suspended solids
which increases costs of the process. Previous studies reported
Dry matter
3250 5436 121000 12300 59300 wide range (200-30000 mg/l) for suspended solids in winery
(mg/L) effluents (Bustamante et al., 2005). The analyzed wastewaters
*
TSS (mg/L) 832 1756 83590 3800 40590 had high values of COD (4980-220500 mg/l) and BOD5 (1000-
COD (mg/L) 6570 3280 220500 58340 185000 145000 mg/l). The obtained values are in accordance with
BOD (mg/L) 1810 1000 145000 23200 22100 literature which report following ranges for basic parameters of
Fermentable winery wastewaters: COD 738–296119 mg/l and BOD5 125–
nitrogen 23 14 504 102 168 130000 mg/l (Bustamante et al., 2005).The highest organic load
(mg/L) (COD 220000 mg/l, BOD5 145000 mg/l) as well as the highest
ratio of biodegradable in total organic matter
pH 6.98 8.5 3.6 5.9 3.6 (BOD5/COD=0.65), was determined in the wastewater B3.
Total phenols Flotation is very effective process for removal of suspended and,
23 25 116 53 205
(g/L) in significantly smaller amount, dissolved matter (sugar,
*TSS-total suspended solids; COD- chemical oxygen nitrogen etc.) during must clarification. The formed froth (foam),
demand; BOD – biological oxygen demand; consisting mainly of organic matter, becomes a part of highly
The data given in the table represent mean values of three polluted effluent generated after the washing of flotation tank.
replications for each parameter; Compared to B3, the values of BOD5/COD ratio are considerably
lower (0.3-0.5) in the tested effluents generated during harvest

Journal on Processing and Energy in Agriculture 19 (2015) 3 137

 Puškaš, Vladimir et al. / Characterisation of Wastewaters From Different Stages of Wine Production
period. It can be concluded that large share in total organic
matter of these effluents is not biodegradable (e.g. pectic and
lignocellulosic compounds originating from grape pomace).
High organic load, expressed as COD, in wastewaters from
racking of wine comes mainly from sediment of organic
particles (alcohol, acids etc.) and yeast cells. The results showed
BOD5/COD ratio in the range 0.07-0.18, which mean that most
of organic matter was not biodegradable at that moment. It can
be concluded that autolysis of yeast cells was still at the
beginning, and the organic matter was not in suitable form for
biological oxidation (BOD5 test). Effluent from washing of
fermentation tank (C5) from production of red wine had much
lower organic load (BOD5 and COD values) compared to
corresponding effluents from production of white and rose wines
(B5 and R5). This can be explained with the fact that all pomace
was transferred to press after the end of fermentation
(maceration), and therefore less organic matter ended in the
effluent from washing of the tank. Similar results were
previously reported (Kumar et al., 2011). The amount of
fermentable nitrogen in the investigated winery wastewaters is in
the range 14-504 mg/l. These concentrations are in some
samples even slightly higher than the average values for total
nitrogen given in published data (Bustamante et al., 2005;
Vlyssides et al., 2005). As expected, the highest values were
determined in effluents originating from the phases of must
clarification and wine racking, due to considerable removal of
nitrogenous substances by fining agents and partial autolysis of
yeast cells, respectively. According to the published data
regarding winery wastewater characteristics (Canler et al.,
1998), 80 % of total COD is soluble, BOD5/COD ranges
between 0.5-0.6, while the ratio between BOD5, total nitrogen
and total phosphorus is approximately100:1:0.25. According to
some authors (Sheridan et al., 2011) ethanol contributes
significantly to the COD of raw winery effluent from post-
vintage period, with acetic acid being the next considerable
contributor. The pH values of tested effluents were in the range
3.5-8.5. Low pH values (<4.0) were especially characteristic for
effluents incurred after the procedures for must clarification, as
well as, after racking of young wine. This trend could be a
consequence of organic acid and tartrate sedimentation. Higher
pH (6-8.5) is generally determined in wastewaters from washing
of crusher, press and fermentation tanks. The content of total
phenols is significantly higher in effluents originating from wine
racking phase (205-540 mg/l) compared to other samples. As
expected, the amount of these compounds is the highest in
wastewaters from production of red wine. Furthermore, must
clarification during production of white and rose wines is also
responsible for the generation of effluents enriched with
phenolics (100-200 mg/l). The contents of phenolic compounds
determined in this study are in the agreement with the previously
published data (Petruccioli et al., 2001; Vlyssides et al., 2005).
Taking into account the previous results (Kumar et al., 2006;
Sheridan et al., 2011), as well as the characteristics of
winemaking operations in post-vintage period (second and third
racking, wine clarification, filtration etc.), it is expected that
wastewaters which will be generated during this period of
vinification will have lower organic load, expressed as COD and
BOD, in comparison to the vintage period.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that the highly polluted wastewaters
from wineries do not satisfy the legal ranges of selected
parameters (Dalmacija, 2011) and must not be discharged to
inland surface water and to sewer. Therefore, the treatment and
disposal of these effluents represent a complex issue because of
their high organic load associated to a high biodegradability.
These wastewaters could also be valuable row materials for
138
biotechnological production of high-value products due to high
content of biodegradable organic compounds and nutrients.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Financial support from the
Provincial Secretariat for the Science and Technological
Development of the Republic of Serbia’s Autonomous Province
of Vojvodina (Project 114-451-1484/2014-02) is greatly
appreciated.
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Received: 23.02.2015. Accepted: 08.04.2015.
Journal on Processing and Energy in Agriculture 19 (2015) 3