Anaerobic Treatment of Wastewater Generated From Meat Processing Industry Using Batch Reactor System

Abstract

Wastewater (w.w) generated from Siniora meat processing industry contains relatively low concentrations of organic pollutants and other contaminants. The concentration of different parameters such as COD soluble, BOD, TSS, C/N ratio, pH were found to be 2,880 mg/L, 1,425 mg/L, 515 mg/L, 7/1, 6 respectively. Two anaerobic batch reactor, 1.0 L volume each were designed and used to study the treatment of this wastewater. Two experiments were conducted to study the extent of biodegradability of w.w, the amount of biogas generated and the change in pH. In the first experiment, both reactors were seeded with 400 mL of anaerobic sludge. Filtered wastewater of 400 mL (1.15 g COD) was added to one reactor and 600 mL (1.73 g COD) to the other one. The removal efficiency of soluble COD of 400 mL wastewater volume was 48% and for 600 mL was 51% after 29 days anaerobic treatment. However, a relatively small amounts of biogas released from both reactors. This may be due to low C/N ratio of such wastewater and may be as a result of leakage too / or as a result of improper water displacement system. The pH of the ww increased from 7 in raw filtered wastewater to 7.5 at the end of experiment. In the second experiment, the amount of biogas produced was 24.3 mL, 1.6 mL form 600 mL, 400 mL respectively. The removal efficiency of the soluble COD from 400 mL was 66.17% and 28.35% form 600 mL reactor after 20 days of operation.