title: Behavior of the anaerobic treatment of tannery wastewater at different initial pH values and sulfate concentrations.
abstract: The influence of initial pH and sulfate concentration on the anaerobic digestion of tannery wastewater was studied using the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) test. The SMA tests were performed with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 6.5 g/L and SO(-2)4 concentrations of 1.95, 3.90, 6.50, 8.45 and 10.4 g/L. The effect of pH was studied at pH 6.8; 6.4 and 6.1. It was found that methane production took place under all conditions, but the use of SO(-2)4 concentrations higher than 8.45 g/L and initial pH levels lower than 6.4 caused a decrease of up to 73% of methane production. The influence of pH was significant only for SO(-2 4 concentrations lower than 8.45 g/L, with up to 50% inhibition. Specific methanogenic activity for COD/SO(-2)4 ratios lower than 0.77 depends basically on this ratio and not on the initial pH value under the conditions of the study.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile. lorna.guerrero@usm.cl
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chamy
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jeison
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montalvo
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huiliñir
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002677:Chile; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D008697:Methane; D013431:Sulfates; D062065:Wastewater