Winery wastewater inhibits seed germination and vegetative growth of common crop species.

The ability to reuse winery wastewater would be of significant benefit to the wine industry, as it could potentially be a cost-effective method of wastewater management, whilst at the same time providing a valuable water resource. This study investigated the effects of different dilutions of a semi-synthetic winery wastewater on the growth and germination of four common crop species in a glasshouse study; barley (Hordeum vulgare), millet (Pennisetum glaucum), lucerne (Medicago sativa) and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica). The wastewater caused a significant delay in the germination of lucerne, millet and phalaris, although overall germination percentage of all species was not affected.

Evaluation of organic matter concentration in winery wastewater: a case study from Australia.

The 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)) remains a key indicator for proof of compliance with environmental regulators in the monitoring and management of winery effluent. Inter-conversion factors from alternative tests that are more rapid, accurate and simpler to perform have been determined that allow prediction of BOD(5) in winery wastewaters, generally, and at different stages of production and treatment. Mean values obtained from this dataset offer rule of thumb inter-conversion factors: BOD(5) = 0.

Phytotoxicity testing of winery wastewater for constructed wetland treatment.

Rapid and inexpensive phytotoxicity bioassays for winery wastewater (WW) are important when designing winery wastewater treatment systems involving constructed wetlands. Three macrophyte wetland species (Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus validus and Juncus ingens) were tested using a pot experiment simulating a wetland microcosm. The winery wastewater concentration was varied (0.

Development of a low-cost wastewater treatment system for small-scale wineries.

A pilot-scale winery wastewater treatment system was developed to treat wastewater produced by a small winery (approximately 1200 metric tons of grapes crushed). The pilot system consisted of a sedimentation/aerobic process combined with a bioremediation wastewater cell planted with Juncus ingens. The main design specifications, detailed descriptions of the plant, and analysis of the influent and effluent characteristics (pH, electrical conductivity, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand [COD], etc.