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Anaerobic Industrial
Wastewater Treatment Ecology and Technology
A Short 4 Lecture Course
Dr. Vincent OFlaherty
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/mel

Course Outline
Anaerobic biological treatment of industrial
wastewaters
The phenomenon of granulation of anaerobic
sludge - an example of co-operative interaction
between different trophic groups of microbes
The anaerobic treatment of sulphatecontaining wastewaters - an example of
competitive interactions between different
groups of microbes

INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS
Very different from sewage sludge, animal
manures, MSW, etc.
Usually produced in large volume; low
content of suspended solids; BOD/COD
contributed mainly by dissolved organics;
varied chemical composition
Generally readily biodegradable (with the
exception of some pharmaceutical/fine
chemical wastewaters)

 Very variable range with respect to the

organic matter content (BOD/COD), the
solids content, the chemical composition,
the biodegradability of the chemicals and
the C:N:P ratio
e.g. from food processing (abattoirs, dairy,
cannery etc.), brewing, distillery,
pharmaceutical, fine chemical, tannery,
etc.

3 categories based on COD content:

1.

< 2000 mg/l COD

2.

2000 - 10000 mg/l COD

3.

10000 - 100000 mg/l COD

Raw domestic sewage has a COD of 400 - 600 mg/l

Characteristics of some wastewaters

from the food-processing industrial
sector
Industry

BOD
COD Suspended
(mg/l) (mg/l)
solids
(mg/l)

pH

Brewery

850

17,000

90

4 - 6

Citrus
Cannery

2,000

7,000

Acid

Dairy

600 1,000

2 4,000

200 - 400

Acid

Potato
processing

2,000

3,500

2,500

11 13

Sugar beet

450 2,000

600 3,000

1,500
2,500
50,000

4,000
6,000
70 80,000

Slaughterhouse
Silage

800 - 1,000 7 - 8
800

low

Acid

Options available for treatment

of IWW
Principal components are soluble
pollutants
The removal of soluble organic matter
from wastewaters is always a biological
process - the most widely applied
biotechnological process
Essentially, the choice is between aerobic
and anaerobic processes

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC TREATMENT
Aerobic
generally achieves full BOD removal
occurs at ambient temperature
doesn't need enclosure
produces large quantities of waste biomass
requiring safe disposal
Requires high energy consumption for aeration
purposes

 Systems include activated sludge,

trickling filters - very commonly used for
both sewage treatment and IWW
Not covered here - but important!

 Anaerobic
Wont achieve complete BOD removal
Must be heated* and enclosed
Achieves a high rate of pathogen kill and reduces
odours
Produces much smaller amounts of waste biomass
* Uses up to 30% of the biogas - latest work is on use of
low-temperature systems

Main Advantage
Between 70-80% of the energy content
of the waste constituents is conserved
in the methane product - net production
of a usable fuel, renewable energy

Why Anaerobic Treatment for

IWW ?

Increasingly used for the treatment as:

It produces biogas. This energy source is

used by industries for heat and power
generation or steam production - net
producer of fuels whereas aerobic systems
are heavy fossil fuel-utilisers, net reduction
in CO2 emissions/greenhouse effect

It produces less waste sludge (biomass)

than aerobic systems, less to dispose of
(expensive)

Used as an alternative to or in
conjunction with aerobic treatment
systems - depending on the fate of the
treated effluent

 Used to remove COD/BOD prior to discharge to a

municipal sewer
Used with aerobic plant - first stage anaerobic
followed by aerobic treatment to discharge
standard (also other treatments if required)
AD is increasingly applied because high-rate
reactor designs overcame some problems

Historical Difficulties
CSTR designs originally used, same as for
manuries and sewage sludge
In these systems the hydraulic retention time
(HRT) is equal to the solids retention time (SRT) necessary to allow hydrolysis of solid organics
BUT also required because of the very slow
growth rate of methanogens and syntrophs (5-9
day dt in some cases)

 Risk of washout of bacteria is HRT is less than 10

days
CSTR initially used for IWW with high levels of
particulates - e.g. abbatoir, vegetable processing
etc.
As a result of v. long HRT need a very large
digester volume - capital and running costs are
high, so not often feasible

Development of AD designs
specifically for IWW
Aim was to get benefits of AD, but reduce the
disadvantages - i.e. costs, digester volume
Logic is :
1. Reduce HRT
2. Consequent decrease in heating costs
3. Resultant increase in the net gain of biogas,
financial and environmental benefit

TWO MAIN STRATEGIES DEVELOPED

1. Biomass Recycle (Anaerobic Contact)
Analogous to aerobic activated
sludge systems
Biomass washed out of the system
is separated and returned to the
digester
Separate SRT from HRT - biomass
retention time becomes longer

Schematic diagram of the

anaerobic contact digester design
BIOGAS

INFLUENT
EFFLUENT

SLUDGE RECYCLE

 Allows operation at higher organic loading

rates - smaller digester volumes required
lower capital costs for construction
Used mainly for the kinds of IWW treated
previously by CSTR
Allows reduction of the HRT to 6-12 days
(1/2 to 1/4 of digester volume) - 60-95%
COD removal

 Used mainly for food processing

wastewaters with a significant content of
suspended solids: Starch production; meat processing;
abbatoir; distillery; green vegetable
canning wastewaters, etc.

Retention of the Biomass within the

Reactor Independent of the Wastewater
Flow
2. Retained Biomass Systems
Second generation of IWW AD designs
AC systems rarely operated below 6 day HRT because ww being treated usually contains
insoluble organic polymers -i.e. hydrolysis is the
rate limiting step
But most IWW have very low ss content, BOD or
COD is contributed by soluble, low Mwt organics
that are readily biodegradable

 Souse of long HRT is not necessary and is

obviously very costly
Alternative designs were developed that
allowed further reduction of the HRTs and
these 2nd generation digesters are the most
important in terms of modern IWW treatment
Idea is to retain biomass inside the digester
independent of the ww flow - allows HRT to be
much reduced

 HRT in these retained biomass

digesters can be reduced to as low as
several hours depending on the
wastewater and the digester design
and mode of operation.
Significant reduction in reactor volume
achieved

2 Main Types of RetainedBiomass Digesters

1. Fixed-Film Systems
2. Granular Sludge-based Systems
Anaerobic filter/fixed film systems
Strategy is to provide an inert surface for
bacterial adhesion - biofilm formation

 Supports include plastic, sand etc. - depending

on the physical arrangement of the support,
biomass may also be retained as flocs or
aggregates in the interstitial spaces
Either fixed-bed or fluidised-bed designs
Fixed-bed Systems are packed with support
media with large surface area for biofilm
development

Schematic diagram of an Anaerobic

Filter Reactor
Biogas

Effluent/Influent

xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxx

Influent/
Effluent

Sludge Bed

 WW is passed over the biofilm - either in upflow

or down flow direction - biogas is collected at the
top of the digester
Fluidised-bed Systems use very small particles
of sand or activated carbon
Very fast upflow velocity is applied so that the
bed is fluidised - HRT is in hours not days, but
expensive to operate and not very stable

High-rate reactor designs

Biogas

Biogas

Effluent

Biogas

Influent

Influent

Effluent

Anaerobic digester designs

based on biomass
retention:
(a) anaerobic filter/fixed bed
reactor;

Influent

Effluent

Effluent
Biogas

Influent
Biogas
Effluent

Effluent

(c) expanded bed/fluidised bed

reactor;
(d) upflow anaerobic sludge
blanket reactor; Expanded
granular Sludge Bed

Influent

(b) downflow stationary fixedfilm reactor;

Influent

(e) hybrid sludge bed/fixed bed

reactor

2. Granular Systems
Biomass self-aggregates into dense wellsettling granules
Thus it is retained within the digester even
during upflow operation (not washed out)

Granular Sludge Bed

(UASB/EGSB/Hybrid) systems
e.g. UASB reactor, most commonly
applied worldwide
Very high biomass density in the reactor
- allows very high organic loading rates
Optimal spatial organisation of different
trophic groups within the granules

Schematic diagram of an Upflow

Anaerobic Sludge Bed (UASB) reactor
Biogas

Effluent

Sludge Bed

Influent

EGSB (Expanded Granular Sludge

Bed)
Biogas

Effluent

Upflow velocity
of 10-15 m/h
Sludge Bed

Influent

RECYCLE LINE
Increased sludgewastewater contact

Hybrid Reactor Design

BIOGAS

xxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxx
S
L
U
D
G
E

INFLUENT

EFFLUENT

R
E
C
Y
C
L
E

Matrix plastic etc.

Scanning electron micrograph of mesophilic sludge granule

at low magnification (Sekiguchi et al., 1999).

 Well-settling nature
of granules allows
them to be retained
in the reactor

USE OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTION FOR

INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
Installation of anaerobic digesters for
industrial wastewaters has grown very
rapidly over the past 15-20 years.
UASB design is the most widely used,
EGSB becoming more common.
Very high loading rates and biogas
productivity; HRT typically 1 day or less.

 Up to 30 kg COD/m3/d - UASB; 100 kg COD/m3/d EGSB

Up to 20 m3 biogas/m3/d
Typically achieve 80-99% COD removal.
A.D. treated wastewater is either discharged to the
municipal sewer for final treatment prior to
discharge or subjected to aerobic polishing, NPK
removal, etc. by the industry prior to discharge to
the receiving waterbody.

 Used mainly at full-scale for treatment

of wastewaters from the food and drinks
sector.
Growing recent application for more
recalcitrant wastewaters.

EXAMPLE OF FULL-SCALE ANAEROBIC

DIGESTER FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
ADM citric acid production plant in Co.
Cork, Ireland.
Wastewater characteristics:7000 m3/day
12000 mg COD/l
4000 mg sulphate/l

 Digester specification:-

Upflow, fully-packed anaerobic

filter random-packed,
polypropylene cascade rings;
7300 m3 volume
Diameter of 36 m, height of 12.4

 Operational performance:HRT of approximately 1 day

52% COD removal
81% BOD removal
30 m3 biogas/day (66% CH4)
(corresponds to 18 l/min)
Biogas is used for steam generation
and space heating

North Kerry Milk Processing Plant

in Co. Kerry, Ireland
Wastewater characteristics:-

4000 m3/day
5000 mg COD/litre

Digester specification:-

Downflow, random-packed anaerobic filter,

polypropylene rings
4500 m3 volume

 Operational performance

HRT of approximately 1 day

c. 90% COD/BOD removal
Biogas used for electricity generation
(combined heat and power plant).

 Post treatment (activated sludge)

prior to discharge
Operated on a seasonal basis
(March - October)