An empirical model for predicting the organic concentration of anaerobic filter effluents

Abstract

The results of experiments in treating domestic wastewater and soybean processing waste‐water in two laboratory‐scale anaerobic filters are described. An empirical model, with inlet chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration Si and hydraulic retention time (HRT) as two independent variables to predict the outlet COD concentration of the anaerobic filters, was found to adequately describe the anaerobic filter systems. Good agreement was obtained between the prediction using the current model and the experimental results of pilot‐ and full‐scale anaerobic filters for the treatment of soybean processing wastewater. The current model, which is able to show the predominant parameter (Si or HRT) determining the outlet organic concentration, is a modification of Young and McCarty's (1969) model. The current model also implies the possible effect of effluent recirculation on the performance of an anaerobic filter.