Gn. Demirer et Re. Speece, Comparison of anaerobic acrylic acid biotransformation in single- and two-stage pH-stat completely stirred tank reactor systems, WAT ENV RES, 72(1), 2000, pp. 84-89
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology,"Environmental Engineering & Energy
Performance of single- and two-stage pH-stat completely stirred tank reacto
r (CSTR) systems for anaerobic acrylic acid biotransformation was investiga
ted and compared. In the experiments, acetate was added with acrylic acid.
Acetate concentration in both single- and two-stage reactors was continuous
ly maintained at a nonlimiting concentration of 2000 +/- 200 mg/L. using a
computer-controlled pH-stat system to allow observation of the effect of ac
rylate biotransformation on the more sensitive methanogenic step. For this
purpose, conventional (one-stage) and two-stage pi-I-stat CSTR systems with
the same acrylic acid loading strategy were operated under the same condit
ions, and their performances were compared. The food-to-microorganism ratio
in the first stage of the two-stage system was maintained at approximately
two times that of the one-stage system. Furthermore. relatively high acryl
ate concentrations and dilution rates were achieved in the first stage of t
he two-stage system. Results revealed that the two-stage pH-stat CSTR syste
m provided better effluent quality and more stable operation with the toxic
effects of acrylic acid and its intermediate products than the single-stag
e system.