CHEMICAL PROCESS WASTE-WATER TREATMENT BY ATTACHED CULTURES UNDER ANOXIC CONDITIONS

The anoxic biodegradation of organic carbon in industrial wastewaters was studied on pilot plants with attached bacteria. The process involv ed submerged granular filters with expanded glass balls as packing mat erial. The two wastewaters which were investigated came from a wine-pr oduce industry and a chemical industry. The nitrate requirements were studied on a semi-batch pilot plant. The nitrate consumption was found to be about 0.7-0.9 g N-NO3.g(-1)TOC for the organic carbon removal f rom the wine-produce industry wastewater. The influence of the volumet ric load, C-v, on the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was studied o n a continuous-flow pilot plant. High removal yields of 90 % and more were obtained with volumetric loads up to 2 kg TOC.m(-3).d(-1) with th e wine-produce industry wastewater. However 80 % TOC removal was obtai ned for a maximum volumetric load of 0.2 kg TOC.m(-3).d(-1) with the c hemical industry wastewater. The difference between the two wastewater s might be due to the different degradation kinetics and/or biodegrada bility of their organic compounds. Nitrite concentrations were negligi ble throughout the study.