Sugar Industry Pollutants

The sugar industry operates for 120 days of the year. During this time, sugar mills produce large volumes of pollution in manufacturing the product. Manufacturing sugar involves the use of solid chemicals, bagasse, and other pollutants. If improperly discarded, these pollutants can be released into the atmosphere and cause environmental harm.

Bagasse

• Bagasse is a chemical used to fuel boilers. As bagasse is burned, nitrogen oxides and other gases are released into the atmosphere. While there is an acceptable amount of particulate matter that will not harm the environment, excessive burning of bagasse may damage or even destroy vegetation. In addition, humans exposed to large amounts of bagasse may experience eye irritation and dizziness.

Odors and Dust

• In addition to the effects of bagasse, sugar manufacturing also generates odor and dust that should be controlled. The dust can easily pollute other products, while odors have the potential to seriously affect nearby communities. Since pesticides are sometimes present in sugar cane liquids, odors and dust particles from sugar manufacturing can have detrimental consequences in the environment.

Condensates

• After the sugar cane is boiled, the liquid is passed into barometric condensers for cooling. Condensates or residue generated during the cooling process goes into a pond. While the water is generally gathered and recycled at the sugar mill, some water can be missed and chemicals are hence left in the pond. Suction devices known as vacuum pans are used to collect condensates left in the water. A poorly operated vacuum pan is the most common way that pollutants are left in the pond after the cooling process.

Prevention

• Preventing pollution should be a primary goal of sugar mill companies. Good pollution-prevention strategies include discouraging molasses or sweet vegetable syrup sprays during disposal, and seeking to reduce product losses by performing frequent sugar auditing. Any pollution-prevention plan should endeavor to collect and properly dispose of toxic wastes generated by the manufacturing process.