Comparison of accelerated anaerobic granulation obtained with a bench-scale rotating bioreactor vs. a stationary container for three different substrates

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion is a very efficient technology for the treatment of wastewater from the food industries. The upflow sludge blanket reactor (UASB) is used to convert carbon in waste streams to CO 2 and CH4. The risk of a shortage of anaerobic gran ules in a situation that requires a replacement granule charge for the UASB is a barrier to implementation of anaerobic technology in countries without UASB reactors, producing a surplus of granules to provide for an adequate inventory of granules. Accelerated granulation provides a means to reduce this risk. Peach cannery effluent (PCE), sucrose and lactate were tested as possible substrates for accelerated granulation inducement for un-granulated sewage sludge. Six experimental runs of 20 d each were done to explore granule growth. Each substrate was seeded with sewage sludge in a 5.4 ℓ bioreactor rotating at 2 r/min, as well as in a stationary container. A rapid drop in pH occurred during the first few days of every run. A lower overall pH in the bioreactor indicates a higher bacterial activity relative to the stationary container.

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