The use of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors in the treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater

Abstract

This work studied the performance of the dissolved air flotation (DAF) system and the start-up and the operation of two 450 m3 UASB reactors in a poultry slaughterhouse in Sorocaba, Brazil. The DAF presented reduction efficiency of grease and fats, suspended solids and COD 50% higher. The reactors were seeded with non-adapted sludge. The average COD of the reactor influent was 2,695 mg/L; and the initial organic loading rate (OLR) and the initial sludge loading rate at the start-up were 0.51 kg COD/m3.day and 0.04 kg COD/kg VTS.day, respectively. The start-up period was 144 days. During this time the reactor flow rate and OLR were gradually increased. At the reactor start-up, the maximum OLR value was 2.1 kg COD/m3.day, the COD reduction was higher than 80%, and the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was below 100 mg/L. The COD reductions, considering the reactor effluent raw COD and soluble COD were similar throughout the period studied in both reactors. The reactor effluent raw COD was approximately 10% higher than the soluble COD until the 225th day of operation. From the 225th day of operation this value increased 20%-30% due to the sludge washout. The effluent soluble COD reduction, the effluent VFA concentration and the operational stability attested the good performance of UASB reactors in poultry slaughterhouse wastewater treatment.