ABSTRACT
Alcohol distilleries are extensively growing due to widespread industrial applications of alcohol in pharmaceuticals, perfumery, food and alternative fuel, among others (Mohana et al. 2009). One of the main problems faced by the sugar-alcohol industries is the large volume of residues generated,
1Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba-SP, P.O. Box 96 134000-970, Brazil. 2Federal University of Alagoas, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Biochemistry of Parasitism and Environmental Microbiology, Maceio-AL, 57072-970, Brazil. 3Institute of Technology and Research, University Tiradentes, Campus Farolândia, Aracaju-SE, 49032-490, Brazil. 4Federal University of Sergipe, Nucleus of Production Engineering NPR/UFS, São CristovãoSE, 49100-000, Brazil. *Corresponding author: romanholobio@gmail.com
especially vinasse, which leads to a potential pollutant to water bodies when inadequately managed (Machado 1998, Wadt 2008, Ferreira 2009). An average of eight to 18 liters of this effl uent is generated for every liter of alcohol produced. Its composition varies according to the raw material and equipment utilized in the production process (Kumar et al. 1998, Naik et al. 2008).
