Anaerobic upflow fixed-film bioreactor for biomethanation of salty cheese whey

In order to develop a suitable reactor for the biomethanation of high-stren gth salty cheese whey, the performance of anaerobic upflow fixed-film react ors packed with different support materials, such as charcoal, gravel, bric k pieces, pumice stones, and PVC pieces, has been studied. The charcoal-bed ded reactor gave the best performance, with the maximum gas production (3.3 L/L digester/d) and an enriched methane content (69% CH4). Temperature and hydraulic retention time were optimized, with the ultimate aim of improvin g biomethanation. Maximum gas production (3.3 L/L digester/d) was achieved at a hydraulic retention time of 2 d at 40 degrees C.