Anaerobic granulation with methanol-cultured seed sludge

A new biotechnology on sludge granulation in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system was developed in this study. Methanol-cultured sludge for UASB inoculation demonstrated a beneficial effect on the granulation process. This new biotechnology accelerated the formation of embryonic granules in a laboratory-scale UASB reactor, and the granulation process reached its post-maturation stage in about 15-20 days ahead of the control reactor. There were no significant negative effects on COD removal and gas production due to this methanogen-enriched seed sludge. Methanol-cultured seed sludge for UASB inoculation could be an effective method to reduce the time required for UASB system start-up.