Gray water footprint estimation in dairy farms in center west of Santa Fe Province

Abstract

Milk production has become one of the most important activities in terms of wastewater generation with contamination capacity and high environmental impact. Santa Fe forms the main dairy basin in Latin America. The objective of this work is to make a preliminary comparison of wastewater Gray Water Footprint (HHg) from dairy production systems at the primary level. For the study, data were collected through effluent sampling carried out at the outlet of the milking system or effluent treatment in several dairy farms. Physicochemical analyzes of various parameters were performed. From HHg calculations, it is concluded that the results determine the water volume necessary to assimilate the pollutant load and do not reflect the pollution and impact of the effluents on the ecosystem.