The removal of heavy metals in anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactors

The continuous removal of heavy metals by the biological solids in an anaerobic reactor has been examined. The metals used were chromium (III), zinc and lead. Both competitive and non-competitive removal was studied. The results were evaluated in terms of adsorption isotherms and were compared with earlier batch studies. This suggested that the sludge acted as a cation-exchange material, with chromium having a much lower binding intensity than lead and zinc. The data also suggest that the nature of the sludge surface is of considerable significance in determining the capacity and intensity of binding. The effect of the metals on biogas formation was also examined. This showed that inhibition of the gas formation was a function of the metal concentration and that the relative toxicities appeared to be zinc > lead > chromium.     

Hydrodynamics of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors

The hydrodynamic characteristics of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were investigated in this study. A UASB reactor was visualized as being set‐up of a number of continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) in series. An increasing‐sized CSTRs (ISC) model was developed to describe the hydrodynamics of such a bioreactor. The gradually increasing tank size in the ISC model implies that the dispersion coefficient decreased along the axial of the UASB reactor and that its hydrodynamic behavior was basically dispersion‐controlled. Experimental results from both laboratory‐scale H₂‐producing and full‐scale CH₄‐producing UASB reactors were used to validate this model. Simulation results demonstrate that the ISC model was better than the other models in describing the hydrodynamics of the UASB reactors. Moreover, a three‐dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was performed with an Eulerian‐Eulerian three‐phase‐fluid approach to visualize the phase holdup and to explore the flow patterns in UASB reactors. The results from the CFD simulation were comparable with those of the ISC model predictions in terms of the flow patterns and dead zone fractions. The simulation results about the flow field further confirm the discontinuity in the mixing behaviors throughout a UASB reactor. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Determination of potential methane production capacity of a granular sludge from a pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor using a specific methanogenic activity test

A 450 dm³ pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was used for the treatment of a fermentation‐based pharmaceutical wastewater. The UASB reactor performed well up to an organic loading rate (OLR) of 10.7 kg COD m^?3 d^?1 at which point 94% COD removal efficiency was achieved. This high treatment efficiency did not continue, however and the UASB reactor was then operated at lower OLRs for the remainder of the study. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) tests were, therefore, carried out to determine the potential loading capacity of the UASB reactor. For this purpose, the SMA tests were carried out at four different initial acetate concentrations, namely 500 mg dm^?3, 1000 mg dm^?3, 1500 mg dm^?3 and 2000 mg dm^?3 so that substrate limitation could not occur. The results showed that the sludge sample taken from the UASB reactor (OLR of 6.1 kg COD m^?3 d^?1) had a potential acetoclastic methane production (PMP) rate of 72 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1. When the PMP rate was compared with the actual methane production rate (AMP) of 67 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1 obtained from the UASB reactor, the AMP/PMP ratio was found to be 0.94 which ensured that the UASB reactor was operated using its maximum potential acetoclastic methanogenic capacity. In order to achieve higher OLRs with desired COD removal efficiencies it was recommended that the UASB reactor should be loaded with suitable OLRs pre‐determined by SMA tests. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

上流式厌氧污泥床反应器技术的现状与发展

扼要介绍了UASB反应器的基本结构和原理,并从工艺的角度对该反应器进行了分析,即UASB反应器是现有废水处理工艺成果与微生物细胞固定化技术相结合的产物。最后总结了UASB反应器的应用特点及下一步的发展方向。     

Mixing characteristics and performance of the anaerobic upflow blanket filter (UBF) reactor

Mixing characteristics (using a radioactive tracer) and reactor performance of the upflow blanket filter (UBF) reactor operated at different loading rates (up to 32 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) m^?3 day^?1) were compared. The results indicated that mixing profiles of the reactor operated with effluent recirculation and without biomass were of the perfectly mixed type. Operation without recirculation resulted in about 18% dead space. The filter made of plastic rings and located in the top third of the reactor had no negative effect on reactor mixing. Operation at loading rates of up to 25 kg COD m^?3 day^?1 permitted a soluble COD removal rate of 95% with a methane production rate of 5.9 m³ m^?3 day^?1. At higher loading rates, the efficiency of COD reduction decreased with a decrease of the specific acetoclastic activity to 0.5 kg acetate removed per kg volatile suspended solids (VSS) day^?1. At all loading rates studied it was observed that the performance was not related to the mixing characteristics, which had remained of the perfectly mixed type with an occasional small dead space (below 10%). The good mixing characteristics of the UBF reactor coupled with the high biomass content and the effective action of the filter make this reactor one of the most promising designs for the treatment of soluble wastes.     

厌氧-好氧组合工艺处理制药废水的试验研究

采用上流式厌氧污泥床反应器-移动床生物膜反应器串联装置,处理含有大量氨基酸和皂素的制药废水。系统的总COD去除率平均在86%左右。当厌氧反应器的COD容积负荷为10～21kg/(m3·d),COD去除率平均为70%左右;好氧反应器的COD容积负荷率为2.48～2.87kg/(m3·d),COD去除率为59%。     

容积负荷变化模式对嗜盐混合菌发酵乙酸合成PHB的影响

以嗜盐混合菌发酵生产PHB具有免灭菌程序、易提取、产量高等优势而被广泛关注。本研究集中考察了嗜盐混合菌(MMCs)发酵生产PHB过程中调整容积负荷的方式对PHB生产的影响。在研究中通过比较恒定接种生物量改变底物浓度以及恒定底物浓度调整接种生物量两种调整方式下PHB发酵生产的最大细胞含量、PHB最大容积产率以及表观动力学,确定了MMCs的最佳OLR,以及两种变化方式的本质差异。研究结果表明,两种方式下随着OLR升高,细胞内最大PHB的积累量和PHB容积产率也随着增加。本研究发展的嗜盐MMCs最佳OLR 0.91 kg·(kg·d)^-1。在相同的OLR下,高的接种生物量始终具有高的碳源转化率和底物消耗速率。为此,采用高接种生物量发酵生产PHB可以提高PHB生产效率并降低PHB的成本。     

The effect of organic loading rate on the anaerobic digestion of two‐phase olive mill solid residue derived from fruits with low ripening index

A study of the effect of organic loading rate on the performance of anaerobic digestion of two‐phase olive mill solid residue (OMSR) was carried out in a laboratory‐scale completely stirred tank reactor. The reactor was operated at an influent substrate concentration of 162 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) dm^?3. The organic loading rate (OLR) varied between 0.8 and 11.0 g COD dm^?3 d^?1. COD removal efficiency decreased from 97.0% to 82.6% when the OLR increased from 0.8 to 8.3 g COD dm^?3 d^?1. It was found that OLRs higher than 9.2 g COD dm^?3 d^?1 favoured process failure, decreasing pH, COD removal efficiency and methane production rates (Q_M). Empirical equations described the effect of OLR on the process stability and the effect of soluble organic matter concentration on the total volatile fatty acids (TVFA)/total alkalinity (TAlk) ratio (ρ). The results obtained demonstrated that rates of substrate uptake were correlated with concentration of biodegradable COD, through an equation of the Michaelis–Menten type. The kinetic equation obtained was used to simulate the anaerobic digestion process of this residue and to obtain the theoretical COD degradation rates in the reactor. The small deviations obtained (equal to or lower than 10%) between values calculated through the model and experimental values suggest that the proposed model predicts the behaviour of the reactor accurately. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

ANAMMOX与反硝化协同脱氮反应器启动及有机负荷对其运行性能的影响

控制已稳定运行的UASB-ANAMMOX反应器进水TN容积负荷为026 kg.m^-3.d^-1,通过连续添加有机物(葡萄糖),在进水有机负荷与TN负荷比值为1的情况下,仅用35 d就成功启动了ANAMMOX与反硝化协同脱氮反应器,稳定阶段反应器对氨氮、亚硝氮、TN和COD的去除率分别高达95.3%、99.1%、94.0%和93.2%,三氮比即去除的氨氮∶去除的亚硝氮∶生成的硝氮为1∶1.34∶0.03。研究了有机负荷冲击对ANAMMOX与反硝化协同脱氮反应器运行性能的影响。结果表明,进水有机负荷的突降对反应器的运行性能影响不大;有机负荷的突增会显著影响反应器脱除氨氮的能力,经驯化后仍能实现协同脱氮作用,但会恶化反应器的出水水质,大幅降低进水有机负荷可显著改善出水水质。协同脱氮反应器对有机负荷冲击有较强的抵抗力。     

The effect of lauric acid shock loads on the biological and physical performance of granular sludge in UASB reactors digesting acetate

The specific activity of acetotrophic methanogens and the physical behaviour of granular sludge in laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors subjected to shock loads of lauric acid in the absence and presence of calcium were studied. In the absence of calcium, lauric acid completely inhibited acetotrophic methanogens above a threshold level of 100 mg C_12:0dm^?3, whereas no inhibition occurred below this threshold concentration. Addition of an equivalent amount of calcium to wastewater containing lauric acid prevented inhibition of acetotrophic methanogens at least up to 1500 mg C_12:0dm^?3. Addition of less than an equivalent amount of calcium apparently removed more than a stoichiometric amount of lauric acid: 50 % inhibition occurred at approximately 700 mg ‘free’ or excess C_12:0dm^?3. The results indicate that complete sludge wash-out from conventional UASB reactors is likely to occur within 2-8 h if the system is overloaded with an influent containing more than 100 mg C_12:0dm^?3. Calcium did not prevent wash-out.