Organic Cleaner Prepared From Potato
Processing Plant Waste
S.K. BHAGAT, Head
J.E. ONGERTH, Assistant Professor
Environmental Engineering Department
B.V. ETTLING. Chemist
Materials Science
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington 99163
E.W. ADY, President
Baker & Ady, Inc.
Kennewick, Washington 99336
INTRODUCTION
A multipurpose organic cleaner, Sparkling Rivers, a commercial product soon to be
put on the market, has been successfully prepared from the constituents in a potato
processing waste. The raw materials used in the preparation of this product include potato
starch, vegetable oil, caustic, and water, and these materials are generally the prevalent
constituents of a potato processing plant waste.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated a total potato crop production of 16
million tons in 1973 in the U.S.A. Also, according to U.S.D.A. figures, 45% (7.2 million
tons) of the 1973 crop was processed as frozen, fried or flake potatoes. The experience of the
potato processing industry indicates that approximately 50% of the raw potatoes processed
for fried product end up as waste. An approximate breakdown of wastes produced at a lye
peeling, fried product plant is given in Table I.
TABLE I
WASTE MATERIALS FROM A POTATO PROCESSING PLANT
1. Reject Potatoes and other Potato Starch Waste:
Approx. 0.5 ton Waste/1.0 ton of Raw Potatoes processed
2. Potato Waste Breakdown:
Approx. 30% — Peewees (small potatoes)
60% — Solids from Screening and Vacuum Filtration
10% — Lost in Primary Effluent
3. Caustic Waste:
Approx. 5 lbs (as NaOH)/1.0 ton of Finished Potato Product
4. Oil and Grease Waste:
Approx. 35 lbs/1.0 ton of Finished Potato Product
5. Water Use:
Approx. 1400-3000 gallons/1.0 ton of Raw Potatoes Processed
The common practice of handling wastes from the potato processing plants in the
Northwest includes separation of culls, etc., by coarse screening, separation of settleable
solids by gravity sedimentation followed by vacuum filtration, removal of grease from the
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