PERFORMANCE OF A COMBINED ANAEROBIC REACTOR FOR MUNICIPAL WASTE-WATERTREATMENT AT AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE

A bench-scale experimental study was carried out to investigate the ov erall performance of a combined anaerobic reactor for treating pre-set tled municipal wastewater at ambient temperature (18-28 degrees C) in terms of substrate removal efficiencies, biogas, methane production, v olatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles and effluent suspended solids (SS) c oncentration, etc. The tested reactor was a modified anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR). The second and third compartments were partly packed w ith supporting media. The experimental results were similar to, or com pared favourably with, other anaerobic reactor systems for municipal w astewater treatment at ambient temperature and proved the technical fe asibility of this compartmentalised reactor. Considering its simple st ructure and operation, it could be considered a potential reactor syst em for treating municipal and domestic wastewaters in tropical and sub -tropical areas of developing countries.