Development of an expanded-bed GAC reactor for anaerobic treatment of terephthalate-containing wastewater

An expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) anaerobic reactor was developed to treat terephthalate-containing wastewater. Terephthalate inhibits biological anaerobic degradation of terephthalate and methane production when present at a concentration of more than 150 mg/L. In the GAC anaerobic reactor developed here, degradation of terephthalate and other organic compounds occurred smoothly and stably with removal and methane fermentation ratios of more than 90% under a chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 4 kg COD/(m³ d) and a terephthalate loading rate of 1 kg terephthalate/(m³ d).