Análisis de los residuos provenientes del proceso de deshidratación de piña y manzana.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the wastes from the dehydration process of pineapple (Ananas Comosus L.) and apple (Malus domestica) obtained from this industry. This study aimed at covering the analysis of the different wastes in which their environmental impacts were assessed. For which, the liquid wastes were measured in situ (temperature, turbidity, total solids, pH, conductivity) and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) tests were done. In addition to this, the solid wastes (organic matter, humidity, ash, and pH) were measured to determine the environmental impacts caused by the dehydration process. The modified Leopold matrix was applied, and the treatment proposals for the final disposal of the liquid and solid wastes were analyzed. The characteristics of these are very similar to other studies in which the solid wastes of apple were 94.38% and the pineapple ones were 96.32% indicating high values of organic matter, humidity, and high contaminant loads. A total of three severe environmental impacts related to the material transport affecting the soil quality, water, and air were obtained. It can be concluded that the wastes obtained from the industrial process of the fruit dehydrations can be used for multiple purposes and obtain high value products. It is recommended to look for timely proposals to have an environmentally sustainable production.