Performance and kinetics of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater

Abstract

A laboratory study was devised to verify the use of Monod kinetics for the modelling of a continuous upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater. Eight different hydraulic retention times (4.0-0.3 day) were investigated at an average influent COD concentration of 5.1 g.l-1. The maximum substrate utilization rate, k, and half saturation coefficient, KL, were determined to be 1.47 kg CODremoved..kg-1 VSS-day-1 and 1.23 kg COD.kg-1 VSS-day1. The yield coefficient, Y, and sludge decay rate coefficient, Kd, were also determined to be 0.17 kg VSS.kg-1 CODremoved and 0.029 day-1, respectively. The lose relationship between biomass loading rate and specific substrate utilization rate supported the use of Monod equations and allowed the model to be used predictively for assessing plant performance.