Development of design criteria for an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor applicable to high strength industrl al wastewater

Abstract

Wastewaters from industrial sources, having Chemical Oxygen Demand greater than 1500 mg/l are generally categorized as 'high strength industrial wastewaters'. In anaerobic digestion, the complex organic compounds present in industrial wastewaters are transformed into simpler compounds such as volatile fatty acids, CH4, CO2, in an environment free of molecular oxygen. Up flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor is a type of high rate suspended growth system. Development of highly settleable granulated sludge in a VASB promotes higher flow rates, which produces high organic removal in relatively small capacity reactors. Biogas production is an added advantage, which provides a means of energy recovery from the wastewater.