Seasonal variation of the organic and inorganic composition of sugarcane vinasse: main implications for its environmental uses

Sugarcane vinasse is the main waste stream of the Brazilian agroindustry. The typical composition of sugarcane vinasse gives it a high polluting potential that implies the necessity to define sustainable strategies for managing this waste. Knowledge of the inorganic and organic composition of vinasse and its seasonal variation is extremely important to conduct scientific research to define alternative managements for vinasse disposal other than fertigation. This study evaluated the variability of vinasse composition throughout the same harvesting season and among three harvesting seasons of one Brazilian annexed biorefinery (2015–2017). The contents of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), total solids (TS), suspended solids (SS), salinity (K + , Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Cl − , F − ), nutrients (N, P, S), trace metals (Al 3+ , As 2+ , Ba 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cr 3+ , Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , Fe 2+ , Pb 2+ , Mn 2+ , Hg 2+ , Mo 2+ , Ni 2+ , Se 2+ , Zn 2+ ), and specific soluble organic compounds (sugars, alcohols, and organic acids), as well as pH and conductivity, were monitored in 13 samples. The results indicated that sugarcane vinasse is a suitable feedstock for biological treatments, such as anaerobic digestion processes for energy recovery, as well as substrate for biomass (e.g., microalgae, energy crops, lignocellulosic biomass) growth. The application of a previous treatment makes vinasse a more environmentally friendly natural fertilizer for land fertigation.