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Whey Treatment by AnSBBR with Circulation: Effects of Organic Loading, Shock Loads, and Alkalinity Supplementation

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Abstract

The main objective of this work was to investigate the effect of volumetric loading rate (VLR), shock load, and alkalinity supplementation on the efficiency and stability of an Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (AnSBBR) containing polyurethane foam cubes. Mixing in the reactor, which was kept at 30 ± 1°C, occurred by recirculating the liquid phase. The reactor treated 2.5 l cheese whey in 8-h cycles, at concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 g COD l−1, which corresponded to VLRs of 3, 6, and 12 g COD l−1 day−1, respectively. Application of single-cycle shock loads of 6, 12, and 24 g COD l−1 day−1 did not impair reactor performance. In addition, for VLRs of 3, 6, and 12 g COD l−1 day−1, alkalinity supplementation to the influent, at the end of each assay, could be reduced to 75, 50, and 50%, respectively, in relation to supplementation at the beginning of the assay. During reactor operation a viscous polymer-like material was formed between the polyurethane foam cubes, which increased at higher VLR. Finally, addition of salts to the influent improved reactor efficiency.

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Abbreviations

AnSBBR:

anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor

UASB:

up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket

COD:

chemical oxygen demand

VLR:

volumetric loading rate, g COD l−1 day−1

SOL:

specific organic load, mg COD g TVS−1 day−1

C ST :

organic matter concentration in unfiltered effluent samples, mg COD l−1

C SF :

organic matter concentration in filtered effluent samples, mg COD l−1

BA:

bicarbonate alkalinity, mg CaCO3 l−1

TVA:

total volatile acids concentration, mg HAc l−1

TS:

total solids concentration, mg l−1

TVS:

total volatile solids concentration, mg l−1

TSS:

total suspended solids concentration, mg l−1

VSS:

volatile suspended solids concentration, mg l−1

VAI :

intermediate volatile acids concentration, mg HAc l−1

V CH4 :

methane production, ml

%CH4 :

methane percentage in the biogas, %

%CO2 :

carbon dioxide percentage in the biogas, %

v S :

liquid phase recirculation velocity, cm s−1

Q :

volumetric flow rate, l h−1

C SI :

organic matter concentration in unfiltered influent samples, mg COD l−1

C S :

organic matter concentration in unfiltered samples in the reactor along a cycle, mg COD l−1

V :

reaction medium volume in the reactor, l

R S :

organic matter consumption rate, mg COD l−1 h−1

μ S :

specific organic matter consumption rate, mg COD g TVS h−1

C X-TVS :

total volatile solids concentration relative to the reaction medium, g TVS l reaction medium-1

C X-TS :

total solids concentration relative to the reaction medium, g TS l reaction medium−1

C’X-TVS :

total volatile solids concentration relative to the immobilized biomass, mg TVS g foam−1

C’X-TS :

total solids concentration relative to the immobilized biomass, mg TS g foam−1

μ :

specific biomass growth rate, mg TVS g TVS−1 h−1

Y X/S :

organic matter–biomass conversion factor, mg TVS mg COD−1

M TVS :

mass of total volatile solids in the reactor, g TVS

μ max :

Maximum specific biomass growth rate, mg TVS g TVS h−1

k S :

Monod’s kinetic constant, mg COD l−1

K :

first order apparent kinetic constant, l g TVS−1 h−1

C SR :

residual filtered organic matter concentration, mg COD l−1

C SIO :

filtered organic matter concentration in the reactor at the beginning of the cycle, mg COD l−1

k 1 :

first order apparent kinetic constant, h−1

T :

cycle length, h

ROLF :

removed organic load for filtered effluent samples, g COD l−1 day−1

ROLT :

removed organic load for unfiltered effluent samples, g COD l−1 day−1

V A :

fed volume or renewed volume per cycle, l

t c :

cycle length, h

R 2 :

squared correlation coefficient

ɛ :

organic matter removal efficiency, %

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP (São Paulo, Brasil), process number 03/09216-4. We also acknowledge Dr. Baltus C. Bonse for the revision of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Engenharia Mauá, Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia (EEM/IMT), Praça Mauá, 1 CEP, 09580-900, São Caetano do Sul, SP, Brasil

    José A. D. Rodrigues & Suzana M. Ratusznei

  2. Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (SHS/EESCUSP), Av. Trabalhador São-Carlense, 400 CEP, 13566-590, São Carlos, SP, Brasil

    Roberto A. Bezerra Jr., Marcelo Zaiat & Eugenio Foresti

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  1. Roberto A. Bezerra Jr.
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  2. José A. D. Rodrigues
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  3. Suzana M. Ratusznei
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Correspondence to José A. D. Rodrigues.

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Bezerra, R.A., Rodrigues, J.A.D., Ratusznei, S.M. et al. Whey Treatment by AnSBBR with Circulation: Effects of Organic Loading, Shock Loads, and Alkalinity Supplementation. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 143, 257–275 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-007-8030-1

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