Implicaciones ambientales de la disposición de vinaza en el suelo

Abstract

One of the strategies to deal with climate change is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, bioethanol being an alternative used to reduce this consumption. The growing demand for this fuel alcohol motivated the sugarcane industry to produce sugarcane-based bioethanol. With the increase in the production of bioethanol, the generation of vinasse also increased, which is a liquid residue associated with the sugarcane distillation process. The high content of organic matter present in vinasse has motivated the sugarcane industry to use it as a fertilizer. This bibliographic review article describes the physicochemical and biological characteristics of vinasse, the environmental impacts derived from its disposal in the soil, and the efforts made by some countries for its regular use. It was identified that the use of vinasse in the sugarcane industry increases the yield of sugarcane crops; however, the inadequate disposal of vinasse can generate acidification, salinization and sodification of the soil, increase in the concentrations of BOD, COD and TSS in the water and decrease in dissolved oxygen in bodies of surface water. It is ruled out that there are international standards that regulate the physicochemical characteristics of vinasse, with Cuba being the country that regulates a greater number of parameters; in Colombia the regulatory framework is more flexible