Limited aeration of methanogenic systems for treatment of sulfate-containing wastewater

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20014894

Zitomer, D H; Shrout, J D

Wastewaters with high sulfate concentrations are often not readily amenable to methanogenic treatment due to production of potentially inhibitory hydrogen sulfide. Some reports indicate that treatment has been enhanced by air sparging of recycle flows to air-strip hydrogen sulfide and create a selective environment for reduction of sulfate to elemental sulfur, rather than sulfides and thiosulfate. In this report, direct aeration of methanogenic expanded beds was employed for treatment of high-sulfate wastewater and compared to a strictly anaerobic control. An influent wastewater COD:SO{sup {minus}2}{sub 4} ratio as low as 4,4:1 did not discernibly inhibit methane production in the anaerobic control. At a relatively high OLR of 30g COD/L{sub A}-d and a relatively short HRT of 4.2 hours, the COD removal of the control was 97%. Methanogenesis was also sustained in the aerated reactors which had oxygen transfer rates of between 2 to 5% of the OLR. These aerated reactors converted approximately 70% of the COD to methane. Future research will involve higher sulfate loadings and aeration rates to determine possible benefits of direct aeration of methanogenic expanded beds.

• Research Organization: Marquette Univ., Milwaukee, WI (US)
• OSTI ID: 20014894
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AERATION
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
REDUCTION
SULFATES
SULFUR
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT