Treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in upflow anaerobic filter under low upflow velocity

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 149 - 158
• Main Authors: Rajakumar, R, Meenambal, T, Rajesh Banu, J, Yeom, I.T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS) 2011; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Chemical oxygen demand; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Flow velocity; Granular sludge; Groundwater discharge; Livestock industry; Mesophilic temperature; Methane yield; Methanosaeta; Methanosarcina; Poultry; Scanning Electron Microscope; Sludge; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water treatment; India; Mesophilic temperature; Methane yield; Methanosarcina; Granular sludge; Methanosaeta; Scanning Electron Microscope
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03326204

The wastewater discharged by poultry slaughterhouse industries are
characterized mainly by high biochemical oxygen demand, high suspended
solids and complex mixture of fats, proteins and fibers requiring
systematic treatment prior to disposal. In this study, the performance
of an upflow anaerobic filter reactor for treating Indian poultry
slaughterhouse wastewater under low upflow velocity of 1.38 m/day at
mesophilic temperature (29-35 °C) was investigated. The reactor
was inoculated with anaerobic non-granular sludge from an anaerobic
reactor treating the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater. The reactor
took 147 days for complete start-up with removal efficiencies of total
chemical oxygen demand and soluble chemical oxygen demand of 70 and 79
% respectively. The maximum total chemical oxygen demand removal
efficiency of 78 % was achieved at an organic loading rate of 10.05
kg/m3/day and at an hydraulic retention time of 12 h. The average
methane content varied between 46 and 56 % and methane yield at maximum
removal efficiency was 0.24 m3 CH4 /kg CODremoved.day. Sludge granules
of 1-2 mm were observed in between the packing media. Scanning electron
microscope analysis revealed that sludge granules are composed of
clumps of Methanosarcina clustered with less intertwined Methanosaeta
fibre of granules. The lower velocity used in this study has achieved
better performance of the reactor by creating active microbial
formation with stable pH upto an organic loading rate of 14.3
kg/m3/day. This has proved that the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater
can be treated using anaerobic filter reactor under low upflow
velocity.