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Operational experience with a full‐scale anaerobic baffled reactor treating municipal wastewater
Author(s) -
Schalk Thomas,
Marx Conrad,
Ahnert Markus,
Krebs Peter,
Kühn Volker
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143017x15131012188295
Subject(s) - chemical oxygen demand , anaerobic exercise , wastewater , total suspended solids , full scale , environmental science , sewage treatment , volatile suspended solids , sedimentation , suspended solids , waste management , pulp and paper industry , environmental engineering , chemistry , engineering , medicine , biology , physiology , paleontology , structural engineering , sediment
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of moderate temperatures on the efficiency of a full‐scale anaerobic treatment system consisting of a primary sedimentation unit ( PST ) and an anaerobic baffled reactor ( ABR , approx. 10 m 3 ). Therefore, two trials with different test setups in series were carried out (1st trial: continuous load; 2nd trial: diurnal variation load). The plant was fed with municipal wastewater and operated at temperatures between 8 and 24°C. The mean efficiency of the ABR was low, compared to the one of the PST . At 10°C, only 10% of the COD was removed. The COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal efficiency of the plant ( PST + ABR ) averaged 50%. At low temperatures, volatile fatty acids began to accumulate. In both trials, the contents of total suspended solids in the sludge bed differed distinctly and influenced the effort for desludging. Practitioner points The operation of ABR in combined collection systems depends on the efficiency of the pretreatment unit. At cold temperatures, an ABR has no advantages compared to conventional pretreatment processes. For use under moderate conditions, the design must be adjusted.