Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-06-13 Origin: Site
Acidity regulators, such as citric acid and lactic acid, play an indispensable role in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. However, the production and processing of these acidity regulators generate significant amounts of wastewater containing high concentrations of salts and organic matter. Managing this wastewater sustainably is a growing challenge for manufacturers and environmental regulators alike.
In recent years, technological breakthroughs combining electrodialysis and biofilm treatment have paved the way for more efficient and eco-friendly wastewater treatment solutions. This integrated approach not only mitigates pollution but also recovers valuable resources, transforming salt residues into reusable materials within a circular economy framework.
This article explores the challenges of acidity regulator wastewater, reviews advanced treatment technologies, and discusses how the circular economy concept is reshaping wastewater management in this sector.
The industrial manufacture of acidity regulators such as citric acid and lactic acid involves fermentation, neutralization, crystallization, and purification steps. These processes generate wastewater rich in organic acids, residual salts (mainly sodium, potassium, and calcium salts), suspended solids, and sometimes heavy metals or other impurities.
The main challenges with acidity regulator wastewater include:
High Salinity: The neutralization of organic acids typically involves alkali usage, producing large quantities of salt-laden wastewater. High salt concentration increases water's electrical conductivity and osmotic pressure, making biological treatment difficult.
Organic Load: Residual organic acids and fermentation by-products raise the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), requiring efficient degradation methods.
Complex Composition: Variability in raw materials and processes leads to fluctuations in wastewater quality, complicating treatment system design.
Environmental Regulations: Strict discharge standards mandate the removal of salts and organics to prevent soil and water contamination.
Traditional wastewater treatment plants often struggle with the high salt content, as conventional biological treatment systems cannot handle salinity levels above certain thresholds without loss of microbial activity.
To overcome the challenges posed by high salinity and complex organic loads in acidity regulator wastewater, the industry has increasingly adopted integrated treatment systems that combine electrodialysis (ED) and biofilm reactors. Electrodialysis plays a crucial role in efficiently separating dissolved salts from wastewater by using specialized ion-exchange membranes under an applied electrical potential. This process significantly lowers the salinity levels of the wastewater, which is a critical prerequisite for the success of subsequent biological treatments. Following electrodialysis, the desalinated water is directed to biofilm reactors where dense microbial communities, immobilized on various surfaces or carriers, actively degrade organic compounds. These biofilms provide enhanced stability and resilience compared to conventional suspended biomass, leading to improved treatment efficiency even under variable wastewater conditions. Importantly, the integration of these two technologies not only ensures effective contaminant removal but also facilitates resource recovery. The salts separated during electrodialysis can be further purified and reused in industrial processes, reducing environmental discharge and supporting circular economy principles by minimizing waste and conserving valuable materials. This combined approach represents a sustainable and economically viable solution for managing acidity regulator wastewater.
Electrodialysis is a membrane-based separation technology that selectively transports ions from the feed solution through ion-exchange membranes under an applied electric field. It is especially effective for separating dissolved salts from aqueous solutions without requiring phase changes or chemical additives.
In the context of citric and lactic acid production wastewater, electrodialysis achieves:
Reduction of Salinity: Typically removes over 90% of dissolved salts, lowering the osmotic pressure and enabling downstream biological treatment.
Concentration of Acidic Components: In some configurations, electrodialysis concentrates valuable acids for recycling or further processing.
Energy Efficiency: Compared to thermal evaporation or chemical precipitation, electrodialysis consumes less energy and produces fewer secondary pollutants.
After desalination by electrodialysis, the wastewater enters biofilm reactors for organic degradation. Biofilm reactors support dense microbial communities attached to carriers or surfaces, offering enhanced stability and efficiency compared to suspended growth systems.
Key benefits include:
Salinity Tolerance: By reducing salinity via electrodialysis first, biofilm microbes operate in more favorable conditions, improving treatment performance.
Higher Biomass Concentration: Biofilms allow for higher microbial populations, leading to faster and more complete organic matter breakdown.
Resistance to Toxicity: Biofilms can withstand fluctuations in wastewater composition and toxic compounds better than free-floating bacteria.
Compact Footprint: Biofilm reactors are often smaller and easier to integrate into existing plants.
The combined electrodialysis-biofilm treatment technology not only cleans wastewater but also enables resource recovery and recycling, embodying circular economy principles:
Salt Recovery and Reuse: Salts extracted via electrodialysis can be purified and reused in industrial processes, reducing raw material demand and minimizing landfill disposal.
Water Reuse: Treated water after biological treatment can be recycled within the production plant, cutting freshwater consumption and wastewater discharge.
Acid Concentrate Recycling: Some electrodialysis systems concentrate organic acids like citric or lactic acid, which can be purified and reintroduced into production cycles.
Energy Savings: By reducing chemical use and wastewater volume, the integrated system lowers overall energy consumption and operational costs.
Circular economy adoption in acidity regulator production aligns with global sustainability trends and regulatory pressures, helping companies achieve environmental compliance and corporate social responsibility goals.
Several industrial case studies demonstrate the successful application of electrodialysis plus biofilm treatment for acidity regulator wastewater:
Citric Acid Production Plant: A large citric acid manufacturer implemented an electrodialysis system removing over 95% of salts, followed by a moving bed biofilm reactor reducing COD by 90%. The recovered sodium citrate was reused in neutralization, saving raw materials and disposal fees.
Lactic Acid Fermentation Facility: By integrating electrodialysis and biofilm treatment, this facility achieved zero liquid discharge (ZLD) status, recycling over 85% of process water and reclaiming calcium lactate crystals from wastewater streams.
These examples prove that advanced wastewater treatment is not only environmentally beneficial but also economically viable.
The sustainable treatment of acidity regulator wastewater, especially from citric and lactic acid production, is essential for both environmental protection and long-term industrial competitiveness. The breakthrough integration of electrodialysis and biofilm treatment presents a viable solution to tackle high salinity and organic loads efficiently.
By recovering valuable salts and enabling water reuse, this innovative approach reflects the core principles of the circular economy—transforming waste into valuable, reusable resources. For manufacturers focused on sustainability, investing in such advanced treatment technologies delivers significant ecological and economic benefits.
If you're looking to explore sustainable wastewater solutions or better manage acidity regulators in your production processes, turn to Zio Food Chemical—a trusted name in the industry. With expertise in eco-friendly practices and high-quality acidity regulator solutions, Zio supports your environmental goals while maintaining product efficiency.
Visit www.ziofoodchemical.com to discover how their innovative approaches and tailored services can enhance your sustainability efforts.
