assessment of an anaerobic filter packed with a low-cost material for treating domestic wastewater

• Published in: Environmental technology Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 1151 - 1159
• Main Authors: López-López, Alberto, Albarrán-Rivas, María Guadalupe, Hernández-Mena, Leonel, León-Becerril, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.05.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: anaerobic filter; Anaerobic treatment; Anaerobiosis; Applied sciences; Assessments; biofilm; Biofilms; Biofuels; Bioreactors; chemical oxygen demand; Domestic; domestic wastewater; Economics; environmental technology; Exact sciences and technology; experimental design; Filtration - instrumentation; General purification processes; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; methane; Methane - chemistry; methane production; organic matter; Oxygen - chemistry; Oxygen demand; Pollution; porosity; Rock; rural communities; Rural Population; Temperature; Tezontle; Waste water; Waste Water - chemistry; wastewater; wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water Purification - instrumentation; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment and pollution; British Isles; Methane; Organic matter; rural communities; anaerobic filter; Retention time; Domestic waste water; Tezontle; Anaerobe; Chemical oxygen demand; Experimental design; Production; Water quality; Biofilm; Rural area; Rocks; domestic wastewater; Porosity; Waste water purification
• ISSN: 1479-487X; 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2012.743588

The lack of available technologies that assembled both the technical and economical characteristics for domestic wastewater treatment is a major problem for rural communities. In response to this issue, a technical assessment of an up-flow anaerobic filter (UAF) was carried out in the laboratory to treat domestic wastewater. Tezontle, a volcanic rock, was used as the packing media and as the support for the biofilm. It was selected due to its abundance, low cost and high porosity. The UAF assessment was based on an experimental design of two variables, hydraulic retention time (HRT) and temperature, with three and four levels of operation, respectively. Each test at HRT of 12, 18 and 24 h was carried out at temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35°C. Methane production rates were 32.4, 110 and 191 mL of CH₄/g of chemical oxygen demand removed for HRT of 12, 18 and 24 h, respectively, at a temperature of 35°C. In order to reach a high removal of organic matter (higher than 80%) the optimum operational conditions for the UAF were HRT=24 h and T=35°C. The temperature was the determining factor for achieving the greatest removal efficiencies in the UAF.