title: Anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater sludges using anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor.
abstract: The anaerobic digestion of primary sludge (PS) and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) using an anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AnFBR) employing zeolite particles as the carrier media was investigated at different organic loading rates (OLRs). PS was tested at OLRs from 4.2 to 39kgCOD/m(3)-d corresponding to hydraulic retention times (HRTs) from 1.0 to 8.9days. The highest COD removal and VSS destruction efficiencies for primary sludge of 85% and 88%, respectively, were achieved at an HRT of 8.9days and OLR of 4.2kgCOD/m(3)-d. For TWAS, VSS destruction efficiencies varied from 42% at an HRT of 2.6days and OLR of 13.1kgCOD/m(3)-d to 69% at an HRT of 8.8days and an OLR of 4.2kgCOD/m(3)-d. The first-order COD biodegradation rates in the AnFBR for PS and TWAS were 0.4d(-1) and 0.1d(-1), respectively, almost double the rates in conventional high-rate digesters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada.
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Elsayed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elbeshbishy
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada; Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada. Electronic address: gnakhla@eng.uwo.ca.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nakhla
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis / Q000379:methods; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002947:Cities; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012212:Rheology / Q000295:instrumentation; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Fluidized bed bioreactor; Primary sludge; TWAS