Current processes to dispose or treat
pot ale include: direct disposal to the sea, spreading on land as
fertiliser, evaporation to produce pot ale syrup and anaerobic
digestion [2,3]. However, all these methods for disposal or
treatment have their limitations. Direct disposal to the sea is only
possible in very limited circumstances, where the location of the
distillery allows it. Spreading on land as fertiliser causes concern,
due to the possible toxic effects of the pollutants contained in pot
ale. Evaporation to produce pot ale syrup is expensive due to the
high energy costs and the use of pot ale syrup is limited because it
cannot be fed to sheep due to its copper content