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Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Continuous dechlorination of tetrachloroethene in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor
Ching-Shyung Hwu1, Chih-Jen Lu
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Hungkuang University, Taichung County 43302, Taiwan. cshwu@sunrise.hk.edu.tw
Abstract:
Influences of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) were investigated in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor inoculated with anaerobic granular sludge non-pre-exposed to chlorinated compounds. PCE was introduced into the reactor at a loading rate of 3 mg/l d. PCE removal increased from 51+/-5% to 87+/-3% when HRT increased from 1 to 4 d, corresponding to an increase in the PCE biotransformation rate from 10.5+/-2.3 to 21.3+/-3.7 micromol/d. A higher ethene production rate, 0.9+/-0.2 micromol/d, was attained without accumulation of dichloroethenes at the HRT of 4 d. Dehalococcoides-like species were detected in sludge granules by fluorescence in situ hybridization, with signal strength in proportion to the extent of PCE dechlorination.
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