Generación de lodos y evolución de la biomasa de un reactor UASB a escala real tratando efluente de maltería

Abstract

The change of an old Imhoff tank into an UASB reactor to treat brewery effluent was carried out based on the results of a pilot‐scale test, and a technical and economic feasibility study. The reactor was inoculated with sludge from an anaerobic treatment pond for meat packing plant effluents, which adapted easily and caused no inconveniences related to its original grease contents. The complete load was achieved in just nine weeks, with a soluble COD removal of approximately 80%. The evolution of the sludge blanket was monitored, including the determination of total and volatile solids content, and the profiles of the solids concentrations at different heights in the whole reactor. The original sludge immediately formed small granules with an average size of 0.7 to 0.85 mm. The loads around 0.2 kg COD/kg VSS.d achieved at the start‐up were relatively low, due to the high amount of a totally expanded sludge, with concentrations between 40 and 50 g TSS/L and 85% of VSS. A value of Y = 0.09 g VSS/g CODrem was obtained for the cellular yield coefficient.