Intermittent operation of UASB reactors treating wastewater polluted with organic solvents: process performance and microbial community evaluation

The effect of intermittent feeding on the treatment of wastewater polluted with ethanol, ethyl acetate and 1-ethoxy-2-propanol in anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactors was investigated. Three laboratory-scale reactors, one periodically supplemented with chitosan, were operated in an intermittent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science water research & technology 2019-07, Vol.5 (7), p.127-1284
Main Authors: Torres, K, Álvarez-Hornos, F. J, Ferrero, P, Gabaldón, C, Marzal, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetates
Acetic acid
Archaea
Bacteria
Biodegradation
Bioreactors
Chemical oxygen demand
Chitosan
Communities
Ethanol
Ethyl acetate
Extracellular
Granular materials
Methanogenesis
Methanogenic bacteria
Microorganisms
Organic loading
Organic solvents
Oxidation
Propanol
Reactors
Sludge
Solvents
Substrates
Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors
Wastewater
Wastewater pollution
Wastewater treatment
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Summary:The effect of intermittent feeding on the treatment of wastewater polluted with ethanol, ethyl acetate and 1-ethoxy-2-propanol in anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactors was investigated. Three laboratory-scale reactors, one periodically supplemented with chitosan, were operated in an intermittent pattern (16 hours per day; 5 days per week) during 5 months. Removal efficiencies higher than 94% were obtained at organic loading rates up to 50 kg COD m −3 d −1 . The addition of chitosan positively affected the specific methanogenic activity of the granular sludge. Although partial deterioration of the granules was observed, it was not correlated with variations in the production of extracellular polymeric substances, the percentage of granules remained between 57 and 84%. Microbial community analysis showed the prevalence of bacteria of the genus Geobacter and archaea of the Methanocorpusculum genus were the most abundant methanogens, suggesting that hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, with the syntrophic oxidation of the substrate, was an important pathway for solvent degradation. UASB showed robustness to treat oxygenated organic solvents under an intermittent feeding pattern with dominance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens.
ISSN:2053-1400
2053-1419
DOI:10.1039/c9ew00195f