Evaluation of performance in a combined UASB and aerobic contact oxidation process treating acrylic wastewater

The lab-scale and full-scale performance of a combined mesophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and aerobic contact oxidation (ACO) process for treating acrylic wastewater was studied. During lab-scale experiment, the overwhelmed volumetric load for UASB was above 6 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) ·(m(-3)·d(-1)) since COD removal efficiency dropped dramatically from 73% at 6 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) to 61% at 7 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) and 53% at 8 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)). Further results showed that an up-flow fluid velocity of 0.5 m h(-1) for UASB obtained a highest COD removal efficiency of 75%, and the optimum COD volumetric load for the corresponding ACO was 1.00 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)). Based on the configuration of the lab-scale experiment, a full-scale application with an acrylic wastewater treatment capacity of 8 m3 h(-1) was constructed and operated at a volumetric load of 5.5 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)), an up-flow fluid velocity of 0.5 m h(-1) for UASB and a volumetric load of 0.9 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) for ACO; and the final effluent COD was around 740 mg L(-1). The results suggest that a combined UASB-ACO process is promising for treating acrylic wastewater.