Chlorophenol sorption to anaerobic granules under dynamic conditions

This study examined the nonideal sorption phenomena and the effect of mixin g conditions on sorption of five chlorophenols (CPs) onto anaerobic granule s (AG) under dynamic conditions in continuous bioreactors. Under dynamic bi oreactor conditions, anaerobic sorption of CPs which follow sorption linear ity and sorption-desorption singularity, can be described by a dynamic mode l incorporating linear sorption. Nonequilibrium sorption caused by diffusio n limitations in anaerobic reactors was found to be negligible, which is a result of the strong hydrodynamic dispersion that prevails in anaerobic rea ctors and the high porosity of AG. However, minor nonideal sorption phenome na were observed for 3,4-dichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol, both of whic h showed sorption-desorption isotherm hysteresis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.