Pretreatment of silk-dyeing industrial wastewater by UASB reactor.

The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor as the pretreatment system for silk-dyeing wastewater. Two laboratory-scale UASB reactors, with working volume of 15.59 I, were used during May 1998 to June 1999. The actual wastewater was diluted to reduce ammonium ion toxicity on anaerobic bacteria. The experiments were conducted at the organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.52, 1.01, 1.04, 1.54 and 2.56 kgCOD/(m3 x d), treating only wastewater generated from the acid-dye process of mixed-species raw silk. It took approximately 4 1/2 months to reach the steady-state conditions. It was found that the COD removal was in the ranges of 74.1-85.3%, except at OLR 2.56 kgCOD/(m3 x d) where efficiency significantly dropped to 55.2%. The apparent color removal was in the similar trend as COD. During the study periods, wastewater input had various color shades while the effluent generally looked pale yellowish. The methane generation rates ranged from 0.18-0.31 m3/kg COD removed, with methane composition 81.0-88.1% in biogas. The average granule size in the sludge bed had slowly increased to 0.73 mm in the last experiment. It can be concluded that the UASB reactor is suitable as a pretreatment system for silk-dyeing wastewater. An OLR of 1 kgCOD/(m3 x d) and an influent concentration diluted to 2,600 mgCOD/l are suggested while COD and apparent color removal efficiency of 80% and 70%, respectively, can be expected.     

Anaerobic treatment of a medium strength industrial wastewater at low-temperature and short hydraulic retention time: a pilot-scale experience

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of a pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor during the treatment of cereal-processing industry wastewater under low-temperature conditions (17 degrees C) for more than 300 days. The applied organic loading rate (OLR(appl)) was gradually increased from 4 to 6 and 8 kg COD(sol)/m3d by increasing the influent soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD(sol)), while keeping the hydraulic retention time constant (5.2 h). The removal efficiency was high (82 to 92%) and slightly decreased after increasing the influent COD(sol) and the OLR(appl). The highest removed organic loading rate (OLR(rem)) was reached when the UASB reactor was operated at 8 kg COD(sol)/m3d and it was two times higher than that obtained for an OLR(appl) of 4 kg COD(sol)/m3d. Some disturbances were observed during the experimentation. The formation of biogas pockets in the sludge bed significantly complicated the biogas production quantification, but did not affect the reactor performance. The volatile fatty acids in the effluent were low, but increased as the OLR(appl) increased, which caused an increment of the effluent COD(sol). Anaerobic treatment at low temperature was a good option for the biological pre-treatment of cereal processing industry wastewater.     

The effect of operational conditions on the performance of UASB reactors for domestic wastewater treatment.

In this investigation, the performance of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors treating municipal wastewater was evaluated on the basis of: (i) COD removal efficiency, (ii) effluent variability, and (iii) pH stability. The experiments were performed using 8 pilot-scale UASB reactors (120 L) from which some of them were operated with different influent COD (CODInf ranging from 92 to 816 mg/L) and some at different hydraulic retention time (HRT ranging from 1 to 6 h). The results show that decreasing the CODInf, or lowering the HRT, leads to decreased efficiencies and increased effluent variability. During this experiment, the reactors could treat efficiently sewage with concentration as low as 200 mg COD/L. They could also be operated satisfactorily at an HRT as low as 2 hours, without problems of operational stability. The maximum COD removal efficiency can be achieved at CODInf exceeding 300 mg/L and HRT of 6h.     

UASB reactor for domestic wastewater treatment at low temperatures: a comparison between a classical UASB and hybrid UASB-filter reactor.

The performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a hybrid UASB-filter reactor was investigated and compared for the treatment of domestic wastewater at different operational temperatures (28, 20, 14 and 10 degrees C) and loading rates. For each temperature studied a constant CODt removal was observed as long as the upflow velocity was lower than 0.35 m/h. At these upflow velocities similar removals were observed for both reactor types at 28 and 20 degrees C, 82 and 72% respectively. However, at 14 and 10 degrees C the UASB reactor showed a better COD removal (70% and 48%, respectively) than the hybrid reactor (60% and 38%). COD removal resulted from biological degradation and solids accumulation in the reactors. At 28 degrees C, a constant 200 g sludge mass was observed in both reactors and COD removal was attributed to biological degradation only. At lower temperatures, solids accumulation was observed in addition to biological degradation with an increase in reactor sludge as the temperature decreased. The decrease in biological degradation at lower temperatures was offset by solids accumulation and explains the similar overall COD removal efficiency observed at 28 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 14 degrees C. The decrease in temperature was also followed by an increase in the effluent TSS concentration in both reactors. At 14 and 10 degrees C a lower effluent TSS concentration and better performance was observed in the UASB reactor.     

Intermittent vs continuous operation of upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactors for dairy wastewater and related microbial changes.

This work compares continuous vs intermittent UASB reactors inoculated with flocculent sludge for the treatment of dairy effluents. The effects of effluent recirculation on the performance of intermittent reactors were assessed as well as the differences in specific methanogenic activity (SMA) with different substrates for the biomass from continuous and intermittent UASB reactors. Compared to the continuous operation the intermittent operation resulted in higher methanization of the removed COD (64-78% and 65-88%, respectively) whilst the effluent recirculation presented beneficial effects when applied during the stabilization period and was clearly detrimental when applied during the feed period of the intermittent operation. The SMA tests showed that the intermittent operation causes a shift in the microbial populations towards a better adaptation for the degradation of complex substrates confirmed by the meaningfull contribution of methane production through a pathway other than acetoclastic methanogenesis observed in the biomass taken from intermittent UASB reactors.     

Comparing the performance of UASB and GRABBR treating low strength wastewaters

Anaerobic technologies have proved successful in the treatment of various high strength wastewaters with perceptible advantages over aerobic systems. The applicability of anaerobic processes to treat low strength wastewaters has been increasing with the evolution of high-rate reactors capable of achieving high sludge retention time (SRT) when operating at low HRT. However, the performance of these systems can be affected by high variations in flow and wastewater composition. This paper reports on the comparative study carried out with two such high rate reactors systems to evaluate their performances when used for the treatment of low strength wastewaters at high hydraulic rates. One of the two systems is the most commonly used upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor in which all reactions occur within a single vessel. The other is the granular bed baffled reactor (GRABBR) that encourages different stages of anaerobic digestion in separate vessels longitudinally across the reactor. The reactors, with equal capacity of 10 litres, were subjected to increasing organic loading rates (OLRs) and hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of up to 60 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) and 1 h respectively. Results show that the GRABBR has greater processes stability at relatively low HRTs, whilst the UASB seems to be better equipped to cope with organic overloads or shockloads. The study also shows that the GRABBR enables the harvesting of biogas with greater energetic value and hence greater re-use potential than the UASB. Biogas of up to 86% methane content is obtainable with GRABBR treating low strength wastewaters.     

Grey water treatment in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor at different temperatures

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 degrees C) and HRT of 20, 12 and 8 h, while the second reactor (UASB-30) was operated at controlled temperature of 30 degrees 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 degrees 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 degrees C, while a HRT of 12-24 h can be applied at temperature lower than 20 degrees C.     

Anaerobic digestion potential for ecological and decentralised sanitation in urban areas.

The potential of anaerobic digestion in ecological and decentralised sanitation has been investigated in this research. Different anaerobic digestion systems were proposed for the treatment of sewage, grey water, black water and faeces. Moreover, mathematical models based on anaerobic digestion model no.1 (ADM1) were developed for determination of a suitable design for each system. For stable performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating sewage, the model results indicated that optimisation of wastewater conversion to biogas (not COD removal) should be selected for determination of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor. For the treatment of sewage or black water in a UASB septic-tank, the model results showed that the sludge removal period was the main parameter for determination of the HRT. At such HRT, both COD removal and wastewater conversion are also optimised. The model results demonstrated that for treatment of faeces in an accumulation (AC) system at temperature > or = 25 degrees C, the filling period of the system should be higher than 60 days. For maximisation of the net biogas production (i.e. reduction of biogas losses as dissolved in the effluent), the separation between grey water, urine and faeces and reduction of water consumption for faeces flushing are required. Furthermore, the faeces and kitchen organic wastes and grey water are digested in, respectively, an AC system and UASB reactor, while the urine is stored.     

Start-up and steady-state results of a full-scale UASB reactor treating malting wastewater.

An Imhoff tank was reconstructed into a 250 m3 UASB reactor in order to treat a malting plant wastewater. The UASB was inoculated with sludge from an anaerobic lagoon used for slaughterhouse wastewater treatment. After two months of operation the reactor achieved full load with an HRT of 17 h, a COD removal higher than 80% and a biogas production of 300 m3/day (77% average methane content), with an organic loading rate of 3.6 kgCOD/m3.d (0.24 kgCOD/kgVSS.d). A yield coefficient of 0.09 gVSS/gCODrem was found from a mass balance. The fat present in the inoculated sludge (48 mg/gSSV) did not affect the start up performance. Sludge from the inoculum with high content of fat (270 mg/gSSV), was separated by flotation in the first week of operation. The COD removal efficiency was scarcely influenced by the reactor operation temperature (17-25 degrees C).     

The effects of hydraulic and organic shock loads on the robustness of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors treating sewage.

In this investigation, the robustness and stability of UASB reactors was evaluated on the basis of four indicators: (i) COD removal efficiency; (ii) effluent variability; (iii) pH stability; and (iv) recovery time. The experiments were carried out using six pilot-scale UASB reactors fed with domestic sewage and operated under different operational conditions. After establishment of a "steady-state", organic and hydraulic shock loads (six times the loading rate during six hours) were imposed. The results show that the UASB reactors are robust systems with regards to COD removal efficiency and pH stability when exposed to shock loads. However, this reactor cannot attenuate the imposed fluctuation in the influent COD. A secondary treatment unit is needed to retain the expelled sludge occurring as a result of a hydraulic shock load, or prior to the shock, a sufficient amount of sludge needs to be discharged from the reactor.     

Low-temperature post-treatment of anaerobically treated-sewage in anaerobic filter with cationic-polymer addition.

The post-treatment of domestic sewage pretreated in a 6 m3 UASB was investigated in two high-rate anaerobic filter (AF) reactors operated in parallel. The difference between the two AF reactors was only the addition of cationic polymer to the second reactor (AF + P). The reactors were operated at low temperatures, ranged between 13 and 20 degrees C. The media in each AF reactor consisted of vertical sheets of reticulated-polyurethane foam (RPF) with knobs. The results demonstrated that the AF + P reactor (HRT = 3 h) with cationic polymer addition (2 mg/L) was an efficient system for post-treatment. The removal efficiencies for total, suspended, colloidal and dissolved COD were, respectively, 41, 86 and 76 and 12% in the AF + P reactor and they were, respectively, 80, 97, 77 and 66% in the UASB + (AF + P) system. The removal of total, suspended and colloidal COD in the UASB + (AF + P) system were significantly higher than those achieved in the UASB + AF system. As hardly any nutrient was removed in the UASB + (AF + P) system, the effluent after pathogen removal is a valuable product for irrigation and fertilisation to close the water and nutrients cycle.     

Effects and mechanism of ozonation for degradation of sodium acetate in aqueous solution

The degradation efficiencies and mechanism of ozonation for the degradation of sodium acetate in aqueous solution were investigated under atmospheric pressure at room temperature (293 K). The effects of the initial pH value, reaction time, and concentrations of HCO3-, CO32-, CaCl2, and Ca(OH)2 on the removal rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were studied. The results indicated that ozonation obviously improved the degradation rate of sodium acetate when the pH value of the solution was not less than 8.5. A suitable long reaction time may be helpful in increasing the COD removal rate, and a removal rate of 36.36% can be obtained after a 30-minute treatment. The COD removal rate increased firstly and decreased subsequently with the increase of the HCO3- concentration (from 0 to 200 mg/L), and under the same experimental condition it reached the optimum 34.66% at the HCO3- concentration of 100 mg/L. The COD removal rate was 5.26% lower when the concentration of was 200 mg/L than when there was no HCO3-. The COD removal rate decreased by 15.68% when the CO32- concentration increased from 0 to CO32- 200 mg/L. has a more obvious scavenging effect in inhibiting the formation of hydroxyl radicals than HCO3-. CaCl2 and Ca(OH)2 could increase the degradation efficiency of sodium acetate greatly, and the COD removal rates reached 65.73% and 83.46%, respectively, after a 30-minute treatment, 29.37% and 47.10% higher, respectively, than with single ozone oxidation. It was proved that the degradation of sodium acetate in the ozonation process followed the mechanism of oxidization with hydroxyl free radicals (·OH).     

Enhanced granulation in UASB reactor treating low-strength wastewater by natural polymers.

Reetha (Sapindus trifoliata) seed extract and Chitosan were used as additives in the sludge bed of a UASB reactor treating low strength wastewater to enhance granulation. Five parallel laboratory scale UASB reactors were operated for 250 days with synthetic wastewater feed containing COD in the range of 600-800 mg/L. The reactors were seeded with spent sludge from a full-scale 5MLD UASB treatment plant at Jajmau, Kanpur, India. The seed sludge contained little or no granules. Different additives in the five reactors were as follows: control with no additive, cationic part of Reetha extract as additive, anionic part of Reetha extract as additive, bulk Reetha extract as additive and Chitosan as additive. The granulation rapidly increased in all the reactors beyond the 90th day of operation. The mean granule sizes as well as the fraction of granular sludge (particle size > or = 100 microm) were more in the presence of some of the additives compared to the control reactor. Chitosan significantly enhanced granulation followed by the cationic and anionic fractions of the Reetha extract. The bulk Reetha extract did not show enhancement of granulation. The ESEM/EDAX results showed that the bigger granules (3-4 mm) had porous structure and appeared as conglomerates of smaller granules.     

Thermal hygienization of excess anaerobic sludge: a possible self-sustained application of biogas produced in UASB reactors.

The main current trends in final disposal of sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTP) include: safe use of nutrients and organic matter in agriculture, sludge disinfection and restricted use in landfill. As to sludge hygienization, helminth eggs have been used as a major parameter to determine the effectiveness of such process, and its inactivation can be reached by means of thermal treatment, under varying temperature and other conditions. In such context, the objective of this research was to determine how effectively biogas produced in UASB reactors could be used as a source of calorific energy for the thermal hygienization of excess anaerobic sludge, with Ascaris lumbricoides eggs being used as indicator microorganisms, and whether the system can operate on a self-sustained basis. The experiments were conducted in a pilot-scale plant comprising one UASB reactor, two biogas holders and one thermal reactor. The investigation proved to be of extreme importance to developing countries, since it leads to a simplified and fully self-sustainable solution for sludge hygienization, while making it possible to reuse such material for agricultural purposes. It should be also noted that using biogas from UASB reactors is more than sufficient to accomplish the thermal hygienization of all excess sludge produced by this system, when used for treating domestic sewage.     

UASB treatment of liquid residues from grass bioraffination.

In 2001 the first green biorefinery started operation in Switzerland with a design load of 5,000 tons dm of grass per year and a combined output of fibres (0.4 tons per ton input), protein (160 t/t) and bioenergy (500 kWh/t). Bioenergy was produced in a 570 m3 UASB reactor which has been monitored intensively during its first year of operation. Anaerobic treatment of liquid residues with > 80% degradation of organics was shown up to high f/m ratios and loading rates of 12 -15 kg COD/m3 d and specific biogas production of 0.5-0.65 Nm3 of gas per kg of COD added. A mass flow analysis of solids and pellets leads to the conclusion, that due to a low sludge bed volume of only 16% of the reactor combined with a low actual organic loading of 1.5 kg COD/m3 d there was a restricted adsorption and a low degradation of substrate solids.     

Production and characterization of scum and its role in odour control in UASB reactors treating domestic wastewater.

There are few studies in the literature that have aimed at characterizing the physical, chemical, and microbial aspects of scum produced in UASB reactors. In addition, there is little information on the influence of operational conditions of UASB reactors on scum formation, and the present work addresses these issues. Three demo-scale UASB reactors, fed on domestic wastewater, were employed to monitor the formation and its characteristics. Scum production was periodically assessed during different operational phases, and its characterization involved analyses of BOD, COD, solids, sulfide, sulfate, microscopic observations, as well as biodegradability tests. The results show that the scum formed was physically, chemically, and microscopically similar in both geminated reactors, being comprised mainly of organic material of low biodegradability. Several bacterial morphotypes, mainly filaments and rods, with internal sulfur granules, were observed, and the aerobic microorganisms that developed at the scum layer as a result of photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria, seemed to play an important role in sulfide removal and odour control. Scum production rates were similar in both reactors, but the imposed higher upflow velocities resulted in a higher production rate and in a reduced biodegradability of the scum.     

Comparison of chemo-, hetero- and mixotrophic denitrification in laboratory-scale UASBs.

This study investigated removal of sulfide and p-cresol linked to denitrification in laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic granular sludge bed (UASB) bioreactors. Three parallel denitrification bioreactors were run for nine months, which were operated under chemolithoautotrophic conditions (i.e., using sulfide as electron donor -e-donor- and bicarbonate as C source); heterotrophic conditions (with p-cresol as e-donor and C source), and mixotrophic conditions (utilizing both sulfide and p-cresol as electron donors), respectively. The average hydraulic retention time and nitrate load applied to the bioreactors was 13.4 h and 1,240 mg N-NO3/l/day, respectively. The nitrate removal efficiency was 89, 95 and 99%, respectively, for the chemo-, hetero- and mixotrophic reactors. The mixotrophic UASB removed both sulfide and p-cresol almost completely, indicating that simultaneous removal of the inorganic and organic e-donors occurred. Nitrite was seldom observed as an intermediate. N2O gas and methane concentrations in the biogas were also negligible. These results indicate that mixotrophic denitrification with phenols and sulfide is feasible in high rate UASB reactors.     

The efficacy of ozone as a pre- and post-treatment option for UASB-treated food processing wastewaters.

The efficiency of ozone as a pre- and post-treatment to UASB treatment was investigated, followed by a study into UASB reactor performance with ozonated wastewater as substrate. Combinations of pre- and/or post-ozonation with UASB treatment gave better results than ozonation or UASB alone and COD reductions of 53.0-98.9% were achieved for treatment of canning and winery wastewaters. A UASB reactor was fed with pre-ozonated cannery wastewater for over 70 d. COD removal improved from between 58.8 and 64.4% to between 85.3 and 91.8% after pre-ozonated substrate feed commenced. Subsequent increases in organic loading rate (OLR) from 2.4 to 3.4 kgCOD m(-3) x d(-1) did not affect reactor performance. By including a final post-ozonation treatment to this UASB effluent a total COD reduction of 99.2% was achieved.     

Improved nitrogen removal in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors by incorporation of Anammox bacteria into the granular sludge.

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors may offer a number of advantages over conventional mixed-tank, SBR, and biofilm reactors, including high space-loading, low footprint, and resistance to shocks and toxins. In this study, we assessed the use of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor technology as applied to anaerobic ammonia removal, or Anammox. Four 200 ml UASB reactors were inoculated with 50% (by volume) anaerobic granular sludge and 50% flocular sludge from different sources (all with the potential for containing Anammox organisms). Tools used to assess the reactors included basic analyses, fluorescent in-situ hybridisation, and mathematical modelling, with statistical non-linear parameter estimation. Two of the reactors showed statistically identical Anammox activity (i.e., identical kinetic parameters), with good ammonia and nitrite removal (0.14 kgNHx m(-3) reactor day(-1), with 99% ammonia removal). The third reactor also demonstrated significant Anammox activity, but with poor identifiability of parameters. The fourth reactor had no statistical Anammox activity. Modelling indicated that poor identifiability and performance in the third and fourth reactors were related to an excess of reduced carbon, probably originating in the inoculum. Accumulation of Anammox organisms was confirmed both by a volume loading much lower than the growth rate, and response to a probe specific for organisms previously reported to mediate Anammox processes. Overall, the UASB reactors were effective as Anammox systems, and identifiability of the systems was good, and repeatable (even compared to a previous study in a rotating biological contactor). This indicates that operation, design, and analysis of Anammox UASB reactors specifically, and Anammox systems in general, are reliable and portable, and that UASB systems are an appropriate technology for this process.     

Three stages MBR (methanogenic, aerobic biofilm and membrane filtration) for the treatment of low-strength wastewaters

The use of a new three stages MBR process with a first methanogenic UASB stage, a second stage with aerobic biofilm growing on small carrier elements maintained in suspension and third stage with membrane filtration module is presented. The objective of the first methanogenic chamber is to diminish COD of the raw wastewater, producing a biogas rich in methane, and decrease the sludge production. In the second stage, the remaining soluble biodegradable COD is oxidized by heterotrophs. In the third stage, the membrane modules could be operated at higher fluxes than those reported for AnMBR systems, and similar to those obtained in aerobic MBRs. In this sense, the concept of these three stages MBR is to join the advantages of the methanogenic and aerobic membrane bioreactor processes, by reducing energy requirements for aeration, producing biogas with high methane percentage and a permeate with very low COD content. A synthetic wastewater was fed to the three stages MBR. COD in the influent was between 200 and 1,200 mg/L, ammonium ranged from 10 to 35 mg/L and phosphorous concentration was 8 mg/L. OLR in-between 1 and 3 kg COD/(m3 d) and a HRT of 13-21 h were applied. Temperature was between 17.5 and 23.2 degrees C. During the whole operating period the COD removal efficiencies were in the range of 90 and 96% of which in between 40 and 80% was removed in the first methanogenic chamber. Biogas production with methane content between 75 and 80% was observed. With regard to membrane operation, average permeabilities around 150 L/(m2 h bar) were achieved, operating with fluxes of 11-15 L/(m2 h).