AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC BIODEGRADABILITY OF 1-ANTHRAQUINONE SULFONATE

The present work investigates 1-anthraquinone sulphonate (1-AS) biodeg radation under (i) aerobic conditions using domestic activated sludge as inoculum, (ii) anaerobic conditions using sludge from an anaerobic domestic wastewater treatment digestor in a sulphate-containing or met hanogenic environment, (iii) a combination of anaerobic followed by ae robic conditions, The process was evaluated in terms of primary degrad ation, i.e. 1-AS elimination and ultimate degradation, as total dissol ved organic carbon removal. It was shown that aerobic conditions lead to the complete primary and ultimate degradation, of 1-AS. By contrast , neither under sulphato-reductive nor methanogenic conditions does an aerobic digestion lead to the significant degradation of 1-AS. The use of anaerobic treatment followed by aerobic treatment did not improve degradation. Indeed aerobic post-treatment resulted in the re-appearan ce of pollutant in the medium even though this had been partly degrade d under anaerobic conditions.