A Correlation Study on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Dairy Wastewater

The dairy industry has important role in day-to-day human life. Dairy industry involves processing of raw milk into products like milk, butter and cheese, etc., and generates 1 to 3 times the volume of milk produced. Knowledge on the physico-chemical characteristics of dairy wastewater is essential in the design, operation, collection and treatment as well as disposal facilities for the effective management of environmental quality. In this regard, wastewater samples were collected from a dairy industry located in Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu and analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters. Most of the parameters exceed the permissible limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board of India for discharging into surface waters. A correlation analysis has been carried out among various parameters. The analysis is terribly realistic in wastewater management as well as safe disposal strategies.