BIOAUGMENTATION AND ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL EFFLUENT IN FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR

Abstract

The start-up of an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor was carried out using a single inoculum (supernatant of anaerobic digester) and later on with multiple inoculum (a mixture of supernatant of anaerobic digester and volatile fatty acid (VFA)) to achieve a faster start-up. Then regular experiments were carried out to study the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on COD removal (%) and biogas production. The pharmaceutical effluent with COD of 2000 to 4000 mg/L was treated in a fluidized bed reactor using an enricher-reactor concept with a hydraulic retention times of 3 (U_f=6U_mf) to 24 (U_f=1.5U_mf) hr. The maximum COD removal (%) of 91.2 and a maximum biogas production of 5.62 L/d were obtained at 24 hr HRT for a maximum COD concentration of 4000 mg/L corresponding to a fluidization velocity (U_f) of 20m/hr (1.5U_mf) using a granular activated carbon bed of average size 700 μm.

Keywords:

• Anaerobic fluidized bed reactor
• Bioaugmentation
• COD removal efficiency
• Pharmaceutical effluent
• Biogas production

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Authors wish to acknowledge their sincere thanks to M/s. Orchid Pharmaceuticals Private Ltd., Chennai, India, for their support in experimental work.