Anaerobic Degradation of Sulfate Laden Organics Employing Different Reactor System Configurations
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 2
Abstract
Anaerobic degradation of sulfate laden organics has been investigated employing bench-scale models of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), and hybrid ABR (HABR). Results indicated chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal over 65% in all three systems at a ratio of 8.57–8.59. However, the performance deteriorated at a low ratio of 6.92–7.05 with a reduction in COD removal to 41–55%. Supplementation of limiting nutrients improved COD removal in an UASB system and indicated nutrient deficiency as a primary cause of poor performance. However, poor COD removal (45.92–56.12%) in ABR and HABR indicated a severe inhibition of microbial consortia by sulfide. This study revealed that system configuration aggravated the problem of sulfide toxicity due to sequential phase separation in ABR and HABR systems at low dissolved sulfide concentration relative to the UASB reactor, a single-phase system. Sulfate removal was over 88% in all three systems.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
American Public Health Association (APHA). (1998). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th Ed., American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
Anderson, G. K., Kasapgil, B., and Ince, O. (1994). “Microbiological study of two-stage anaerobic digestion start-up.” Water Res., 28, 2383–2392.
Annachhatre, A. P., and Suktrakoolvait, S. (2001). “Biological sulfate reduction using molasses as a carbon source.” Water Environ. Res., 73(1), 118–126.
Azbar, N., Ursillo, P., and Speece, R. E. (2001). “Effect of process configuration and substrate complexity on the performance of anaerobic processes.” Water Res., 35(3), 817–829.
Barber, W. P., and Stuckey, D. C. (1999). “The use of the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) for wastewater treatment: A review.” Water Res., 33(7), 1559–1578.
Barber, W. P., and Stuckey, D. C. (2000a). “Metal bioavailability and trivalent chromium removal in ABR.” J. Environ. Eng., 126(7), 649–656.
Barber, W. P., and Stuckey, D. C. (2000b). “Effect of sulfate reduction on chemical oxygen demand removal in an anaerobic baffled reactor.” Water Environ. Res., 72(5), 593–601.
Barker, D. J., and Stuckey, D. C. (1999). “A review of soluble microbial products (SMP) in wastewater treatment systems.” Water Res., 33(14), 3063–3082.
Bull, M. A., Sterritt, R. M., and Lester, J. N. (1984). “An evaluation of single and separated-phase anaerobic industrial wastewater treatment in fluidized bed reactors.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 26, 1054–1065.
Cohen, A., Breure, A. M., van Andel, J. G., and van Deursen, A. (1980). “Influence of phase separation on the anaerobic digestion of glucose. I. Maximum COD turnover rate during continuous operation.” Water Res., 14, 1439–1448.
Cohen, A., Breure, A. M., van Andel, J. G., and van Deursen, A. (1982). “Influence of phase separation on the anaerobic digestion of glucose. II: Stability and kinetic responses to shock loadings.” Water Res., 16, 449–455.
Cohen, A., Zoetmeyer, R. J., van Deursen, A., and van Andel, J. G. (1979). “Anaerobic digestion of glucose with separated acid production and methane fermentation.” Water Res., 13, 571–580.
DiLallo, R., and Albertson, O. E. (1961). “Volatile acids by direct titration.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 33, 356–365.
Gupta, A., Flora, J. R. V., Gupta, M., Sayles, G. D., and Suidan, M. T. (1994). “Methanogenesis and sulfate reduction in chemostats. I: Kinetic studies and experiments.” Water Res., 28, 781–793.
Harada, H., Uemura, S., and Momonoi, K. (1994). “Interaction between sulfate-reducing bacteria and methane-producing bacteria in UASB reactors fed with low strength wastes containing different levels of sulfate.” Water Res., 28, 355–367.
Harper, S. R., and Pohland, F. G. (1987). “Enhancement of anaerobic treatment efficiency through process modification.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 59, 152–161.
Inanc, B., Matsui, S., and Ide, S. (1996). “Propionic acid accumulation and controlling factors in anaerobic treatment of carbohydrate: Effects of and pH.” Water Sci. Technol., 34(5–6), 317–325.
Isa, M. H., Farooqi, I. H., and Siddiqi, R. H. (1993). “Methanogenic activity test for study of anaerobic processes.” Indian J. Environ. Health, 35, 1–8.
Isa, Z., Grusenmeyer, S., and Verstraete, W. (1986a). “Sulfate reduction relative to methane production in high rate anaerobic digestion: Technical aspects.” Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 51(3), 572–579.
Isa, Z., Grusenmeyer, S., and Verstraete, W. (1986b). “Sulfate reduction relative to methane production in high rate anaerobic digestion: Microbiological aspects.” Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 51(3), 580–587.
Kroiss, H., and Wabnegg, F. (1983). “Sulfide toxicity with anaerobic wastewater treatment.” Proc., European Symp. on Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment (AWWT), W. J. Van der Brink, ed., The Hague, The Netherlands, 72–85.
Kuo, W. C. (1993). “Production of soluble microbial chelators and their impact on anaerobic treatment.” PhD thesis, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City.
Kuo, W. C., and Parkin, G. F. (1996). “Characterization of soluble microbial products from anaerobic treatment by molecular weight distribution and nickel-chelating properties.” Water Res., 30(4), 915–922.
Lens, P. N. L., Sipma, J., Hulshoff Pol, L. W., and Lettinga, G. (2000). “Effect of nitrate on acetate degradation in a sulfidogenic staged reactor.” Water Res., 34(1), 31–42.
Lens, P. N. L., van den Bosch, M. C., Hulshoff Pol, L. W., and Lettinga, G. (1998b). “Effect of staging on volatile fatty acid degradation in a sulfidogenic granular sludge reactor.” Water Res., 32(4), 1178–1192.
Lens, P. N. L., Visser, A., Janssen, A. J. H., Hulshoff Pol, L. W., and Lettinga, G. (1998a). “Biotechnological treatment of sulfate rich wastewaters.” Crit.Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol., 28(1), 41–88.
Maillacheruvu, K. Y., et al. (1993). “Sulfide toxicity in anaerobic systems fed sulfate and various organics.” Water Environ. Res., 65, 100–109.
Maillacheruvu, K. Y., and Parkin, G. F. (1996). “Kinetics of growth, substrate utilization, and sulfide toxicity for propionate, acetate, and hydrogen utilizers in anaerobic systems.” Water Environ. Res., 68, 1099–1106.
Massey, M. L., and Pohland, F. G. (1978). “Phase separation of anaerobic stabilization by kinetic controls.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 50, 2204–2222.
McCarty, P. L., and Smith, D. P. (1986). “Anaerobic wastewater treatment processes: Fourth part of a six part series on wastewater treatment processes.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 20(12), 1200–1206.
Parkin, G. F., Lynch, N. A., Kuo, W. C., van Keuren, E. L., and Bhattacharya, S. K. (1990). “Interactions between sulfate reducers and methanogens fed acetate and propionate.” Res. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 62, 780–788.
Parkin, G. F., Speece, R. E., Yang, C. H. J., and Kocher, W. M. (1983). “Response of methane fermentation systems to industrial toxicants.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 55, 44–53.
Pipyn, P., and Verstraete, W. (1981). “Lactate and ethanol as intermediates in two-phase anaerobic digestion.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 23, 1145–1154.
Pohland, F. G., and Ghosh, S. (1971). “Anaerobic stabilization of organic wastes, two-phase concept.” Environ. Lett., 1, 255–266.
Speece, R. E. (1983). “Anaerobic biotechnology for industrial wastewater treatment.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 17, 416A–427A.
Speece, R. E., et al. (1983). “Nutritional stimulation of methane bacteria.” Rep. prepared for Solar Energy Res. Inst.
Speece, R. E., and Parkin, G. F. (1983). “The response of methane bacteria to toxicity.” Proc., 3rd Int. Symp. on Anaerobic Digestion, Evans and Faulkner, Inc., Watertown, Mass., 23–35.
Srinivasan, P. T., and Viraraghavan, T. (1998). “Anaerobic treatment of high sulfate content industrial wastewaters: A review.” J. Indian Assoc. Environ. Manage., 25, 1–9.
Weiland, P., and Rozzi, A. (1991). “The start-up, operation, and monitoring of high-rate anaerobic treatment systems: Discusser’s report.” Water Sci. Technol., 24(8), 257–277.
Wiegant, W. M., Hennink, M., and Lettinga, G. (1986). “Separation of propionate degradation to improve the efficiency of thermophilic anaerobic treatment of acidified wastewater.” Water Res., 20, 517–524.
Yamaguchi, T., Harada, H., Hisano, T., Yamazaki, S., and Tseng, I.-C. (1999). “Process behavior of UASB reactor treating a wastewater containing high strength sulfate.” Water Res., 33, 3182–3190.
Zhang, T. C., and Noike, T. (1991). “Comparisons of one-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion in characteristics of substrate degradation and bacterial population levels.” Water Sci. Technol., 23, 1157–1166.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 2 • February 2005
Pages: 216 - 224
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 5, 2002
Accepted: Aug 22, 2003
Published online: Feb 1, 2005
Published in print: Feb 2005
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.