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Full-scale and laboratory-scale anaerobic treatment of citric acid production wastewater

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Abstract

This paper reviews the operation of a full-scale, fixed-bed digester treating a citric acid production wastewater with a COD: sulphate ratio of 3–4 : 1. Support matrix pieces were removed from the digester at intervals during the first 5 years of operation in order to quantify the vertical distribution of biomass within the digester. Detailed analysis of the digester biomass after 5 years of operation indicated that H2 and propionate-utilising SRB had outcompeted hydrogenophilic methanogens and propionate syntrophs. Acetoclastic methanogens were shown to play the dominant role in acetate conversion. Butyrate and ethanol-degrading syntrophs also remained active in the digester after 5 years of operation.

Laboratory-scale hybrid reactor treatment at 55 °C of a diluted molasses influent, with and without sulphate supplementation, showed that the reactors could be operated with high stability at volumetric loading rates of 24 kgCOD.m-3.d-1 (12 h HRT). In the presence of sulphate (2 g/l-1; COD/sulphate ratio of 6 : 1), acetate conversion was severely inhibited, resulting in effluent acetate concentrations of up to 4000 mg.l-1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Research Unit, Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

    Emer Colleran, Sean Pender, Una Philpott & Vincent O'Flaherty

  2. 2 ADM Ringaskiddy, Ringaskiddy, Co., Cork, Ireland

    Brian Leahy

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  1. Emer Colleran
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  2. Sean Pender
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  3. Una Philpott
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  4. Vincent O'Flaherty
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  5. Brian Leahy
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Colleran, E., Pender, S., Philpott, U. et al. Full-scale and laboratory-scale anaerobic treatment of citric acid production wastewater. Biodegradation 9, 233–245 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008389722892

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