Anaerobic sewage treatment in a one-stage UASB reactor and a combined UASB-Digester system

Water Res. 2004 May;38(9):2347-57. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2004.01.041.

Abstract

The treatment of sewage at 15 degrees C was investigated in a one-stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a UASB-Digester system. The latter consists of a UASB reactor complemented with a digester for mutual sewage treatment and sludge stabilisation. The UASB reactor was operated at a hydraulic retention time of 6h and a controlled temperature of 15 degrees C, the average sewage temperature during wintertime of some Middle East countries. The digester was operated at 35 degrees C. The UASB-Digester system provided significantly (significance level 5%) higher COD removal efficiencies than the one-stage UASB reactor. The achieved removal efficiencies in the UASB-Digester system and the one-stage UASB reactor for total, suspended, colloidal and dissolved COD were 66%, 87%, 44% and 30%, and 44%, 73%, 3% and 5% for both systems, respectively. The stability values of the wasted sludge from the one-stage UASB reactor and the UASB-Digester system were, respectively, 0.47 and 0.36g CH(4)-COD/g COD. Therefore, the anaerobic sewage treatment at low temperature in a UASB-Digester system is promising.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / metabolism*
  • Bioreactors*
  • Industrial Waste
  • Refuse Disposal / instrumentation
  • Refuse Disposal / methods*
  • Sewage / chemistry
  • Sewage / microbiology*
  • Temperature
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / instrumentation
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*

Substances

  • Industrial Waste
  • Sewage