Quantification of the Inert Chemical Oxygen Demand of Raw Wastewater and Evaluation of Soluble Microbial Product Production in Demo-Scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors under Different Operational Conditions

2009 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 608-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio F. Aquino ◽  
Roberto M. Gloria ◽  
Silvana Q. Silva ◽  
Carlos A. L. Chernicharo
2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Elmitwalli

Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic wastewater treatment in many developing countries, there is no sufficient mathematical model for proper design and operation of the reactor. An empirical model based on non-linear regression was developed to represent the physical and chemical removal of suspended solids (SS) in the reactor. Moreover, a simplified dynamic model based on ADM1 and the empirical model for SS removal was developed for anaerobic digestion of the entrapped SS and dissolved matter in the wastewater. The empirical model showed that effluent suspended chemical oxygen demand (CODss) concentration is directly proportional to the influent CODss concentration and inversely proportional to both the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor and wastewater temperature. For obtaining sufficient CODss removal, the HRT of the UASB reactor must be higher than 4 h, and higher HRT than 12 h slightly improved CODss removal. The dynamic model results showed that the required time for filling the reactor with sludge mainly depends on influent total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) concentration and HRT. The influent CODt concentration, HRT and temperature play a crucial role on the performance of the reactor. The results indicated that shorter HRT is needed for optimization of CODt removal, as compared with optimization of CODt conversion to methane. Based on the model results, the design HRT of the UASB reactor should be selected based on the optimization of wastewater conversion and minimization of biodegradable SS accumulation in the sludge bed, not only based on COD removal, to guarantee a stable reactor performance.


2011 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Elmitwalli ◽  
Ralf Otterpohl

The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and temperatures, was investigated. The first reactor (UASB-A) was operated at ambient temperature (14–25 °C) and HRT of 20, 12 and 8 h, while the second reactor (UASB-30) was operated at controlled temperature of 30 °C and HRT of 16, 10 and 6 h. The two reactors were fed with grey water from ‘Flintenbreite’ settlement in Luebeck, Germany. When the grey water was treated in the UASB reactor at 30 °C, total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) removal of 52–64% was achieved at HRT between 6 and 16 h, while at lower temperature lower removal (31–41%) was obtained at HRT between 8 and 20 h. Total nitrogen and phosphorous removal in the UASB reactors were limited (22–36 and 10–24%, respectively) at all operational conditions. The results showed that at increasing temperature or decreasing HRT of the reactors, maximum specific methanogenic activity of the sludge in the reactors improved. As the UASB reactor showed a significantly higher COD removal (31–64%) than the septic tank (11–14%) even at low temperature, it is recommended to use UASB reactor instead of septic tank (the most common system) for grey water pre-treatment. Based on the achieved results and due to high peak flow factor, a HRT between 8 and 12 h can be considered the suitable HRT for the UASB reactor treating grey water at temperature 20–30 °C, while a HRT of 12–24 h can be applied at temperature lower than 20 °C.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1518-1525
Author(s):  
Laurence Damasceno de Oliveira ◽  
Amir Mohaghegh Motlagh ◽  
Ramesh Goel ◽  
Beatriz de Souza Missagia ◽  
Benício Alves de Abreu Filho ◽  
...  

In this study, a submerged aerated filter (SAF) using bottle caps as a support medium was evaluated. The system was fed with effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket system at ETE 2-South wastewater treatment plant, under different volumetric organic load rates (VOLRs). The population of a particular nitrifying microbial community was assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization with specific oligonucleotide probes. The system showed an average removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) equal to 76% for VOLRs between 2.6 and 13.6 kg COD m−3_media.day−1. The process of nitrification in conjunction with the removal of organic matter was observed from applying VOLRs lower than 5.5 kg COD m−3_media.day−1 resulting in 78% conversion of NH4+-N. As the applied organic load was reduced, an increase in the nitrifying bacteria population was observed compared with total 4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) stained cells. Generally, SAF using bottle caps as a biological aerated filter medium treating wastewater from an anaerobic system showed promising removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conversion of NH4+-N.


2021 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 106012
Author(s):  
Achiraya Jiraprasertwong ◽  
Pattaratorn Karnchanapaisal ◽  
Kessara Seneesrisakul ◽  
Pramoch Rangsunvigit ◽  
Sumaeth Chavadej

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 1951-1960 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Cabral ◽  
A. L. Sanson ◽  
R. J. C. F. Afonso ◽  
C. A. L. Chernicharo ◽  
J. C. Araújo

Abstract Two bioreactors were investigated as an alternative for the post-treatment of effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating domestic sewage, aiming at dissolved sulfide and methane removal. The bioreactors (R-control and R-air) were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRT; 6 and 3 h) with or without aeration. Large sulfide and methane removal efficiencies were achieved by the microaerated reactor at HRT of 6 h. At this HRT, sulfide removal efficiencies were equal to 61% and 79%, and methane removal efficiencies were 31% and 55% for R-control and R-air, respectively. At an HRT of 3 h, sulfide removal efficiencies were 22% (R-control) and 33% (R-air) and methane removal did not occur. The complete oxidation of sulfide, with sulfate formation, prevailed in both phases and bioreactors. However, elemental sulfur formation was more predominant at an HRT of 6 h than at an HRT of 3 h. Taken together, the results show that post-treatment improved the anaerobic effluent quality in terms of chemical oxygen demand and solids removal. However, ammoniacal nitrogen was not removed due to either the low concentration of air provided or the absence of microorganisms involved in the nitrogen cycle.


1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. P. Fang ◽  
D. Wai-Chung Chung

Experiments were conducted in two 2.8 liter UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactors treating proteinaceous wastewaters at 37° and 55°C with 9 hours of hydraulic retention. Results showed that the mesophilic reactor consistently removed 83.5-85.1% of COD (chemical oxygen demand) at loading rates ranging 8-22 g COD l−1 d−1 (corresponding to 3000-8250 mg l−1 of proteinaceous COD in wastewater), whereas the thermophilic reactor removed only 68.5-82.7%. At 32 g COD l−1 d−1 (i.e. 12000 mg COD l−1), the removal efficiencies were lowered to 75.7% in the mesophilic reactor and 65.1% in the thermophilic reactor. At 42 g COD l−1 d−1, severe sludge washout occurred in the mesophilic reactor; at the same loading rate, the thermophilic reactor removed only 53.8% of COD even though sludge washout was under control. The degradation rate in the both reactors was limited by the initial hydrolysis of proteins. However, batch tests showed that thermophilic sludge had slightly higher methanogenic activities than mesophilic sludge in treating proteins and intermediate acids, except propionate. The sludge yields in mesophilic and thermophilic reactors were 0.066 and 0.099 g VSS g COD−1, respectively. Observations by scanning electron microscopy indicated that both types of sludge granules were of irregular shape. There was little noticeable difference between the two granules; both had neither a layered microstructure nor a predominant bacterial species.


2012 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 1887-1894 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Singh ◽  
A. K. Mittal

This study reports applicability of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) process to treat the leachate from a municipal landfill located in Delhi. A laboratory scale reactor was operated at an organic loading rate of 3.00 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m3 d corresponding to a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h for over 8 months. The effect of toxicity of leachate, and feed composition on the treatability of leachate was evaluated. Average COD of the leachate, during the study period varied between 8,880 and 66,420 mg/l. Toxicity of the leachate used during a period of 8 months varied from LC50 1.22 to 12.35 for 96 h. The removal efficiency of soluble COD ranged between 91 and 67% for fresh leachate and decreased drastically from 90 to 35% for old leachate having high toxicity. The efficiency varied from 81 to 65%. The reactor performed more efficiently for the treatment of fresh leachate (less toxic, LC50 11.64, 12.35, and 12.15 for 96 h) as compared with old leachate (more toxic, LC50 1.22 for 96 h). Toxicity of the leachate affected its treatment potential by the UASB.


2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
S K Patidar ◽  
Vinod Tare

The effect of micro-nutrients, such as Fe, Ni, Zn, Co, and Mo, on anaerobic degradation of sulfate laden organics was investigated using bench-scale models of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), and hybrid anaerobic baffled reactor (HABR), operating in varying conditions in ten phases (organic loading of 1.9–5.75 kg COD/(m3·d), sulfate loading of 0.54–1.88 kg SO42–/(m3·d), chemical oxygen demand (COD):SO42–ratio of 2.0–8.6). In the initial phase, no nutrient limitation was observed with COD removal of more than 94% in all three systems. Subsequently, increase in sulfate loading resulted in Ni and Co limitation and their supplementation restored COD removal in UASB system. However, baffled systems did not recover because of severe inhibition by sulfide. Results indicate that precipitation of nutrients could seriously deteriorate process performance, leading to failure even before sulfide concentration attains toxic level. The limitation of Fe coupled with high sulfate loading (1.88 kg SO42–/(m3·d)) resulted in growth of low-density, fragile, hollow, and granular biomass in UASB that washed out and caused process instability. Supplementation of Fe with other nutrients stabilized UASB process and also improved COD removal.Key words: anaerobic degradation, nutrients, UASB, ABR, HABR, sulfide toxicity, sulfate laden organics.


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