Performance of EGSB reactor using natural zeolite as support for treatment of synthetic swine wastewater

Tania Pérez-Pérez, Ileana Pereda-Reyes, Gleyce Teixeira Correia, Eloisa Pozzi, Wu Hong Kwong, Deny Oliva-Merencio, Marcelo Zaiat, Silvio Montalvo, César Huiliñir*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

An expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor using natural zeolite as support was evaluated for treating synthetic swine wastewaters. The process was operated at 30 °C during 255 days in two reactors at laboratory scale. The control reactor (Rc) was operated only with granular sludge while 120 g of zeolite was supplemented additionally in the other reactor (Rz). The anaerobic processes were developed with organic loading rate (OLR) up to 15 kgCOD/m3 d and different up-flow velocities (vup) were applied (6, 10 m/h). An operation up to 10 kgCOD/m3 d at 6 m/h no significant differences were found between reactors, but at 10 m/h and 15 kgCOD/m3 d, the zeolite-EGSB reactor provides a more stable process, with 89.1% of COD removal efficiency and less than 1 g/L of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation. Differences in granule formation and size as well as the populations of Bacteria and Archaea between the two reactors demonstrated the positive influence of zeolite addition.

Original languageEnglish
Article number104922
JournalJournal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

  • Anaerobic expanded granular bed reactor
  • Granular size
  • Microbial diversity
  • Natural zeolite
  • Up-flow velocities

Cite this