Specific methanogenic activity test for anaerobic treatment of phenolic wastewater

Abstract

AbstractAnaerobic processes have been successfully used in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater. However, the effect of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus on specific methanogenic activity (SMA) in anaerobic treatment of wastewaters containing phenol has not been systematically investigated. Phenol is present in industrial effluents like coal gasification, coke production, pharmaceutical, pesticide, fertilizer, dye manufacturing, synthetic chemical, and pulp and paper. This paper presents experimental study on determination of SMA using phenol as a sole substrate and the present work is being compared with the studies carried out by various researchers using different substrates. SMA test was carried out immediately after seeding the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor with sludge in order to determine the initial phenol biodegradation during the start-up phase of the reactor. Anaerobic degradation of phenol to methane takes place via benzoate and then to acetate. Therefore, the SM...