Performance of a sulfide-oxidizing expanded-bed reactor supplied with dissolved oxygen

The performance of a new sulfide-oxidizing, expanded-bed bioreactor is described. To stimulate the formation of well-settleable sulfur sludge, which comprises active sulfide-oxidizing bacterial biomass and elemental sulfur, the aeration of the liquid phase and the oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur are spatially separated. The liquid phase is aerated in a vessel and subsequently recirculated to the sulfide-oxidizing bioreactor. In this manner, turbulencies due to aeration of the liquid phase in the bioreactor are avoided. It appeared that, under autotrophic conditions, almost all biomass present in the reactor will be immobilized within the sulfur sludge which consists mainly of elemental sulfur (92%) and biomass (2.5%). The particles formed have a diameter of up to 3 mm and can easily be grinded down. Within time, the sulfur sludge obtained excellent settling properties; e.g., after 50 days of operation, 90% of the sludge settles down at a velocity above 25 m h(-1) while 10% of the sludge had a sedimentation velocity higher than 108 m h(-1). Because the biomass is retained in the reactor, higher sulfide loading rates may be applied than to a conventional "free-cell" suspension. The maximum sulfide-loading rate reached was 14 g HS(-) L(-1) d(-1), whereas for a free-cell suspension a maximum loading rate of 6 g HS(-) L(-1) d(-1) was found. At higher loading rates, the upward velocities of the aerated suspension became too high so that sulfur sludge accumulated in the settling zone on top of the reactor. When the influent was supplemented with volatile fatty acids, heterotrophic sulfur and sulfate reducing bacteria, and possibly also (facultatively) heterotrophic Thiobacilli, accumulated within the sludge. This led to a serious deterioration of the system; i.e., the sulfur formed was increasingly reduced to sulfide, and also the formation rate of sulfur sludge declined. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.