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Pre-acidification in anaerobic sludge bed process treating brewery wastewater
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
Water Research
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Pre-acidification enhanced brewery wastewater treatment in a two-stage system, achieving high COD removal. This method improved efficiency at high organic loading rates compared to single-stage systems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Wastewater Treatment
Background:
- Brewery wastewater presents challenges for conventional treatment.
- Anaerobic digestion is a key technology for treating high-strength organic wastewater.
- Pre-acidification can potentially improve the efficiency of anaerobic treatment processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of a single-stage Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor with a two-stage system (acidification reactor followed by UASB) for brewery wastewater treatment.
- To evaluate the impact of pre-acidification on key performance indicators such as COD removal, methane production, and operational stability.
- To determine the critical loading rates and efficiencies of both configurations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two reactor configurations: a single-stage UASB and a two-stage system (acidification reactor in series with a methanogenic UASB).
- Operated reactors at varying Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) and Organic Loading Rates (OLRs).
- Monitored Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Soluble COD (SCOD), Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), methane production, and granule characteristics.
Main Results:
- The pre-acidification reactor achieved 20% SCOD removal, producing methane efficiently.
- Both systems demonstrated a critical loading rate of 34-39 kg COD/m³ per day for 80% COD removal.
- At high OLRs (67 kg COD/m³ per day), the two-stage system showed superior COD removal (62%) compared to the single-stage UASB (57%).
Conclusions:
- Pre-acidification did not negatively impact granular activity, granulation, or settleability.
- The two-stage system offers enhanced performance, particularly at higher organic loading rates, for brewery wastewater treatment.
- The findings suggest that integrating an acidification stage can improve the overall efficiency of anaerobic digestion for specific industrial wastewaters.