EVALUATION OF ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF SELECTED PETROCHEMICAL WASTES

Anaerobic toxicity assays and biochemical methane potential studies we re performed on three waste streams (acrylic acid, ethylene oxide and total wastes) from a petrochemical facility. The acrylic waste contain ed high concentrations (>350 mg l(-1) of acetic acid, acrylic acid, fo rmaldehyde and benzaldehyde and low concentrations (<100 mg l(-1)) of allyl alcohol and acrolein. The oxide waste contained high concentrati ons (>950 mg l(-1)) of ethylene glycol, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde and low concentrations (<50 mg l(-1)) of other compounds. The total wa ste was the combination of all waste streams generated at the plant. U nacclimated anaerobic glucose-acetate enrichment culture and a culture acclimated to the acrylic waste were used. The oxide waste with total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations of about 1400 mg l(-1) was found to be readily degradable even without an acclimation period. The total waste showed no inhibition to the unacclimated glucose-acetate cultur e at a TOC concentration of about 250 mg l(-1); however, the culture w as inhibited at a TOC concentration of about 450 mg l(-1). The acrylic waste caused inhibition at a TOC concentration of 269 mg l(-1) in the unacclimated culture. An acclimated culture degraded a TOC concentrat ion of 223 mg l(-1) of the acrylic acid stream but was inhibited by a concentration of 643 mg l(-1). A reduced acrylic waste load with a sig nificant portion of the acetic acid removed was degradable at a TOC co ncentration of 138 mg l(-1). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.