Integrated ABR and UASB system for dairy wastewater treatment: Engineering design and practice

Abstract

This work designed and assessed the engineering performance of dairy wastewater treatment by an integrated system consisting of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB). With fats adsorbed and decomposed, proteins were first denatured coagulated into solids in the ABR treatment process, and this process created suitable conditions for sludge retention in the sludge bed of the UASB. As a result, the combined system achieved a substantial reduction in excess sludge from 3 to 5 t/d to 3 t/m, notable biogas generation, and 98% COD removal, while the other pollutants in the effluent met relevant standards. In addition, the system attained an excellent performance in terms of the energy consumption and water treatment agent amount. Two active plants achieved operation costs lower than 0.5 kW h/t, while stable operations under ambient temperature conditions lasted longer than three years. Engineering practices both technically and economically affirmed the potential of the proposed system for dairy wastewater treatment.