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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Start-up of novel pilot-scale plant based on two-stage expanded granular sludge bed reactors for pig slurry
Antonio J Aragón-Barroso1, Manuel J Gallardo-Altamirano1, Antonio Castellano-Hinojosa2
1Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Dr. Severo Ochoa, s/n, Granada 18071, Spain; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, C/Ramon y Cajal 4, Granada 18071, Spain.
Abstract:
Pig manure management is an environmental challenge that can be improved through high-rate anaerobic digestion, enabling efficient biogas production and resource recovery. This study evaluated a pilot-scale two-stage expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) system treating real pig slurry over a 150-day start-up. The reactors, operated in series with different working volumes (100 and 500 L), underwent progressive hydraulic retention times (HRT) reductions (R1: 3-1 d; R2: 12-7 d), increasing organic loading rates (OLR) (R1: 7.6-21.4 kg COD m-3 d-1; R2: 1.0-2.5 kg COD m-3 d-1). General chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal reached 68%, with system sensitivity to high solids, while biogas production and methane yield (MY) remained stable, reaching 264 L/d and 352 L CH4/kg COD removed. Microbial analysis identified Clostridium sensu stricto_1, Methanosarcina, and Methanoculleus as key taxa supporting process stability. These results demonstrate the potential of two-stage EGSB systems for sustainable pig manure valorisation.
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