Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Methods for Facilitating Microbial Growth on Pulp Mill Waste Streams and Characterization of the Biodegradation Potential of Cultured Microbes
Published on: December 12, 2013
Molasses as an external carbon source for anaerobic treatment of sulphite evaporator condensate
Flávio Silva1, Helena Nadais, António Prates
1CESAM, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Abstract:
Failures in stability and COD removal performance often occurred in full-scale anaerobic reactors treating the evaporator condensate from a sulphite pulp mill due to substrate inhibition and occasional contaminations with red liquor (wood cooking liquor). With this work, the beneficial effect provided by the continuous addition of an external carbon source (sugarcane molasses) on the overall performance and stability of the biological process was evaluated. With a moderate addition of molasses the inhibition was mitigated which led to an increase of the COD removal rate from 52% to 77% and a methane production increase from 460 to 1650mld(-1) at an organic loading rate of 2.61g CODl(-1)d(-1). A similar conclusion can be drawn for the case when contamination with red liquor occurs. These results suggest that sugarcane molasses addition may be regarded as a low-cost operational strategy for the anaerobic treatment of sulphite evaporator condensate.
More Related Videos
15:19Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
14:53Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Production of Alcohol
Production of Organic Acids
Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Microbes in Beverage Production
Microbes and Methanogenesis