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Evaluation of single- and separated-phase anaerobic industrial wastewater treatment in fluidized bed reactors

Journal Article · · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

Four fluidized bed reactors were used to evaluate single- and separated-phase anaerobic treatments of a high strength wastewater. Two reactors were fed with a synthetic wastewater, containing glucose as the primary carbon source, with a COD of 1.2 x 10/sub 4/ mg/L while the remaining pair were fed with a wastewater with a COD of 6000 mg/L. At each influent strength, one fluidized bed reactor was operated as a single-phase system while the other operated as a methanogenic reactor which was preceded by an acidification reactor in a separated-phase system. The reactors were operated under steady-state and variable process conditions. The separated-phase system consistently gave a better quality effluent with lower effluent suspended solids and total COD, and the methane yield was also improved. Under variable process conditions, the separated-phase system was inherently more stable and recovered more rapidly following a shock loading. Propionate and acetate degradation studies indicated that the biomass in the methanogenic fluidized beds of the two-phase systems was more adapted to volatile acid degradation than the biomass in the single-phase fluidized beds.

Research Organization:
Imperial Coll., London, England
OSTI ID:
6286021
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States) Vol. 26:9; ISSN BIBIA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English