Heavy metal uptake during anaerobic digestion of combined electroplating and brewery wastewaters

Batch and continuous culture laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to quantify the effect of combining chrome and nickel electroplating effluent (EE) and brewery effluent as substrate for established anaerobic digester granules. EE at a 1:12 ratio in brewery effluent was inhibitory to anaerobi c digestion but acclimation at a 1:24 ratio occurred during continuous cult ure experiments. At least 90% of the chromium and nickel was absorbed by th e granules with nickel attaching to granule perimeters while chromium penet rated into deeper recesses.