Rm. Dinsdale et al., Anaerobic digestion of short chain organic acids in an expanded granular sludge bed reactor, WATER RES, 34(9), 2000, pp. 2433-2438
Short chain organic acids occur in industrial effluents such as those from
advanced oxidation processes. An Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB) reacto
r was used to examine the anaerobic treatment of a mixture of maleic, oxali
c, fumaric, acetic and formic acids (2500 mg l(-1) GOD). At a 6-h hydraulic
retention time (HRT) and an organic loading rate (B-v) of 10 kgCOD m(-3) d
(-1), 98% COD removal was seen. Influent containing maleic, oxalic, or fuma
ric acids separately at organic loading rates (B-v) of between 1.8 and 5 kg
COD m(-3) d(-1) COD was also treated, with 90-98% COD removal at HRTs betwe
en 8 and 12 h. A mixture of known products of a wet air oxidation process (
acetic, propionic, butyric, maleic, glyoxylic and benzoic acids) was also t
ested at a 24-h HRT (B-v 3 kgCOD m(-3) d(-1)) giving 90% COD removal. (C) 2
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