ABSTRACT
Environmental pollution due to distillery activities has become a global concern that has attracted considerable attention of researchers, scientist, policymakers, and environmentalists. The color effluent discharges from distilleries is a major source of aquatic and soil pollution usually having extremely high pH values, strong color, turbidity, high chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, and various recalcitrant organic and inorganic chemicals. The release of colored effluent in the ecosystem is a remarkable source of aesthetic pollution, eutrophication, and perturbations in aquatic life due to accumulation of organic pollutants and their derivatives in the environment which are not adequately treated in conventional wastewater treatment plants. The discharged effluent also contaminates soil, resulting in a considerable amount of environmental pollution. This chapter particularly focuses on the environmental impact and health hazards of partially treated or untreated distillery effluent discharges from various large- and small-scale distilleries.
