The removal of suspended solids (SS) is fundamental to apply the wastewater from the coffee shrub cherry pulping (ARC) on agricultural crops fertigation. Among the available options for the removal of SS from ARC is the use of organic filters. This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of the compression degree on either volume reduction or parchment efficiency, when used as medium filter for the removal of suspended solids (SS) in ARC. In a first stage, some assays were conducted in which the testing sample of either triturated parchment (retained between the sieves with 2.5 and 3.0 mm) and non-triturated one (under the condition which it is produced) were submitted to different compressions to reducing the volume of the filtering columns down to 5; 10; 15; 20; 25 and 28%. At the second stage, test specimens were used as a filtering material of ARC in order to evaluate its capacity to remove SS found in this wastewater. The triturated parchment appeared to be more resistant to the compression, as well as provided higher efficiency in removing SS and ARC for the same volumetric reductions in the filtering material than the non-triturated parchment. Range reductions from 10 to 15% in the filter volume constituted by triturated parchment were enough to obtain satisfactory efficiencies in removing the SS from ARC, whereas for those filters constituted by non-triturated parchment the volume reductions should be above 25%.
coffee; organic filters; coffee bean parchments
