A modified anaerobic baffled reactor for municipal wastewater treatment

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 90; no. 8; pp. 2488 - 2493
• Main Author: Bodkhe, S.Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2009; Elsevier; Academic Press Ltd
• Subjects: anaerobic digesters; Anaerobic treatment; Anaerobiosis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Biochemical oxygen demand; Biological and medical sciences; bioreactors; Bioreactors - microbiology; Chemical oxygen demand; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Crack opening displacement; Environmental management; equipment design; Evaluation; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; HRT; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; India; MABR; Oxygen demand; Performance evaluation; Pollution; Reactor design; Reactor technology; Reactors; Self-inoculation; Studies; Technology; Urban areas; Waste Disposal, Fluid - instrumentation; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste management; Waste water; Wastewater management; wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water pollution; Water treatment; Water treatment and pollution; India; Performance evaluation; HRT; Self-inoculation; Wastewater management; MABR; Inoculation; Anaerobe; Urban waste water; Waste water purification; Environmental management; Waste water
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.01.007

A nine-chambered modified anaerobic baffled reactor (MABR) was developed to evaluate its suitability for the treatment of municipal wastewater and to establish the understanding of the relationship between reactor design and operational parameters. The paper presents the configuration of the MABR, its start-up, effect of variation of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on treatment efficiency, and performance evaluation of the MABR while treating the municipal wastewater. To assess the self-inoculation potential of the MABR, the start-up was carried out without seed sludge at a HRT of 6 d. An acclimatization curve was plotted and indicated that a start-up period of 90 d was required for the MABR. Reactor performance evaluation was carried out for 375 d at 11 different HRTs ranging from 6 d to 3 h. The HRT of 6 h was adjudged to be appropriate for this reactor configuration. At a HRT of 6 h, the efficiencies of reduction in suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were found to be 86%, 87% and 84% respectively. Specific biogas yield and methane content were found to be 0.34 m 3CH 4/KgCODr and 67% respectively. The study has evaluated the performance pattern of the MABR and identified it as a suitable reactor technology for municipal wastewater management in India.