An innovative reactor design for the treatment of biologically inhibitory wastewater
Fox, Peter
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/23669
Description
Title
An innovative reactor design for the treatment of biologically inhibitory wastewater
Author(s)
Fox, Peter
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Suidan, Makram T.
Department of Study
Engineering, Civil
Engineering, Sanitary and Municipal
Environmental Sciences
Discipline
Engineering, Civil
Engineering, Sanitary and Municipal
Environmental Sciences
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Engineering, Civil
Engineering, Sanitary and Municipal
Environmental Sciences
Language
eng
Abstract
The anaerobic expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) reactor combines biological and physical removal mechanisms to continuously treat biologically inhibitory wastewaters. An innovative reactor design that decouples biological and physical removal mechanisms by combining a GAC adsorber with a biological reactor was developed and studied. The innovative reactor design was compared with a single stage GAC reactor while both reactor systems were operated with identical influents. A synthetic wastewater composed of acetate and 3-ethylphenol was used throughout the study. Acetate was removed biologically while 3-ethylphenol was removed by both adsorption onto GAC and by biodegradation. The performance of the innovative reactor design was superior to the conventional reactor in all respects.
The innovative reactor design provided both long sludges and control over the amount of physical adsorptive capacity. These features made the hybrid reactor design ideal for the treatment of high-strength wastewater. Long sludge ages allowed for growth of slow growing 3-ethylphenol utilizing organisms while control of adsorptive removal capacity maintained the concentration of 3-ethylphenol below the inhibitory level. Variations in the influent loading were easily compensated for by varying the amount of adsorptive removal capacity. In the single-stage GAC reactor 3-ethylphenol utilizing organisms washed out of the reactor at a sludge age of 9.3 days. Under biologically inhibited conditions, the single-stage GAC reactor failed.
Biological kinetics were characterized through the use of batch tests. A unique fed batch technique was used to observe the biodegradation of 3-ethylphenol. Biodegradation of 3-ethylphenol was described by Haldane kinetics and the effect of 3-ethylphenol on the biodegradation of acetate was described by competitive inhibition.
A study of media-types in expanded-bed reactors demonstrated that GAC was superior with respect to biofilm attachment in comparison to other media-types studied. Crevices where protection from shear forces existed were found to be critical to biofilm development.
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