Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative anaerobic treatment of wastewater from pharmaceutical, brewery, paper and amino acid producing industries

  • Environmental Biotechnology
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology

Abstract

This study concerned the anaerobic treatment of five different industrial wastewaters with a diverse and complex chemical composition. The kinetics of biotransformation of this wastewater at different chemical oxygen demand (COD) were studied in a batch reactor. Wastewater from an amino acid producing industry (Fermex) and from a tank that received several types of wastewaters (collector) contained 0.83 g l−1 and 0.085 g l−1 sulfate, respectively. During the study period of 20 days, methane formation was observed in all types of wastewaters. Studies on COD biodegradation showed the reaction velocity was higher for Fermex wastewater and lower for collector wastewater, with values of 0.0022 h−1 and 0.0011 h−1, respectively. A lower methanogenic activity of 0.163 g CH4 day−1 g−1 volatile suspended solids (VSS) and 0.20 g CH4 day−1 g−1 VSS, respectively, was observed for paper producing and brewery wastewater. Adapted granular sludge showed the best biodegradation of COD during the 20-day period. The sulfate-reducing activity in pharmaceutical and collector wastewater was studied. A positive effect of sulfate-reducing activity on methanogenic activity was noted for both types of wastewaters, both of which contained sulfate ions. All reactions of methane generation for the tested industrial wastewaters were first-order. The results of this study suggest that the tested wastewaters are amenable to anaerobic treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. APHA-AWWA-WEF, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bilanovic D, Battistoni P, Cecchi F, Pavan P, Mata AJ (1999) Denitrification under high nitrate concentration and alternating anoxic conditions. Water Res 33:3311–3320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bradley MP, Fernández M, Chapelle FH (1992) Carbon limitation of denitrification rates in an anaerobic groundwater system. Environ Sci Technol 26:2377–2381

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Buitrón G, Melgoza RM, Jiménez L (2003) Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using an anaerobic/aerobic sequencing batch biofilter. J Environ Sci Health A 38:2077–2088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Driessen W, Yspeert P (1999) Anaerobic treatment of low, medium and high strength effluent in the agro-industry. Water Sci Technol 40:221–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fdz-Polanco F, Fdz-Polanco M, Fernández N, Ureña MA, García PA, Villaverde S (2001) Simultaneous organic nitrogen and sulfate removal in an anaerobic GAC fluidized bed reactor. Water Sci Technol 44:15–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gulmez B, Ozturk I, Alp K, Arikan OA (2000) Common anaerobic treatability of pharmaceutical and yeast industry wastewater. Water Res 34:725–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hao X, Martinez J, Svoboda I (1996) Nitrogen removal from the leachate of SOLEPUR treated pig slurry. Eur Water Pollut Control 6:31–36

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hasselblad S, Hallin S (1998) Intermittent addition of external carbon to enhance denitrification in activated sludge. Water Sci Technol 37:227–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Huang SJ, Jye HJ (1995) Influences of carbon source and C/N ratio on nitrate/nitrite denitrification and carbon breakthrough. Bioresour Technol 54:45–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kim DJ, Miyahara T, Noike T (1997) Effect of C/N ratio on the bioregeneration of biological activated carbon. Water Sci Technol 36:239–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lacorte S, Latorre A, Barceló D, Rigol A, Malmqvist A, Welander T (2003) Organic compounds in paper-mill process waters and effluents. Anal Chem 22:725–737

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. LaPara TM, Nakatsu CH, Pantea LM, Alleman JE (2001) Aerobic biological treatment of a Pharmaceutical wastewater: effect of temperature on COD removal and bacterial community development. Water Res 35:4417–4425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. McCartney DM, Oleszkiewicz JA (1991) Sulfide inhibition of anaerobic degradation of lactate and acetate. Water Res 25:203–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mohan SV, Prakasham RS, Satyavathi B, Annapurna J, Ramakrishna SV (2001) Biotreatability studies of pharmaceutical wastewater using an anaerobic suspended film contact reactor. Water Sci Technol 43:271–276

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Parkin GF, Lynch NA, Chien KW, Van KEL, Bhattacharya SK (1990) Interactions between sulfate reducers and methanogens fed acetate and propionate. Water Environ Res 62:780–788

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Reis MAM, Almeida JS, Lemos PC, Carrondo MJT (1992) Effect of hydrogen sulfide on growth of sulfate reducing bacteria. Biotechnol Bioeng 40:593–600

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Rintala J, Sanz JLM, Lettinga G (1991) Thermophilic anaerobic treatment of sulfate rich pulp and paper integrate process water. Water Sci Technol 24:149–160

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Rodríguez MJ, Rodríguez GI, Pedraza FE, Balagurusamy N, Sosa SG, Garza GY (2002) Kinetics of anaerobic treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater in batch and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. Bioresour Technol 85:235–241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Salkinoja SM, Apajalahti J, Silakoski L, Hakulinen R (1984) Anaerobic fluidized bed for the purification of effluents from chemical and mechanical pulping. Biotechnol Adv 2:357–375

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Saravanane R, Murthy DVS, Krishnaiah K (2000) Assessment of toxicity and anaerobic degradation of anti-osmotic drug based pharmaceutical effluent in an upflow anaerobic fluidized bed system. Global Nest 2:149–158

    Google Scholar 

  22. Talib AS, Jacobsen HT, Vollertsen J, Ujang Z (2002) Anoxic transformations of wastewater organic matter in sewers process kinetics, model concept and wastewater treatment potential. Water Sci Technol 45:53–60

    Google Scholar 

  23. Thompson, Swain J, Kay M, Forster CF (2001) The treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent: a review. Bioresour Technol 77:275–286

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Vallero MVG, Hulshoff Pol LW, Lens PNL, Lettinga G (2002) Effect of high salinity on the fate of methanol during the start-up of thermophilic (55°C) sulfate reducing reactors. Water Sci Technol 45:121–126

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Van Houten TR, Van der Spoel H, Van Aelst CA, Hulshoff Pol WL, Lettinga G (1996) Biological sulfate reduction using gas as energy and carbon source. Biotechnol Bioeng 50:136–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Weijma J, Gubbels F, Hulshoff Pol WL, Stams MAJ, Lens PNL, Lettinga G (2002) Competition for H2 between sulfate reducers, methanogens and homoacetogens in a gas lift reactor. Water Sci Technol 45:75–80

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhou MG, Fang PHH (1998) Competition between methanogenesis and sulfidogenesis in anaerobic wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol 38:317–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

We thank the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) for financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Department, Chemistry Faculty, Autonomous University of Coahuila, Boulevard V. Carranza, Saltillo, 25000, Coahuila, Mexico

    Jesús Rodríguez-Martínez, Silvia Y. Martínez-Amador & Yolanda Garza-García

Authors
  1. Jesús Rodríguez-Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Silvia Y. Martínez-Amador
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yolanda Garza-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesús Rodríguez-Martínez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rodríguez-Martínez, J., Martínez-Amador, S.Y. & Garza-García, Y. Comparative anaerobic treatment of wastewater from pharmaceutical, brewery, paper and amino acid producing industries. J IND MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL 32, 691–696 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-005-0244-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-005-0244-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation