Novel anaerobic packed-bed reactor application for wastewater remediation

Identifier:  TDX:3841

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3841

Authors:  García Martínez, Yonhara

Abstract:
Emergent pollutants are compounds with different origin and chemical nature, therefore they are difficult to be degrade in conventional wastewater treatment plants taking also into account their toxicity and difference in concentration. The utilization of biofilm reactors has proven to be an efficient process for the degradation of chemical compounds, due to a synergetic effect is produced between the biofilm and the support material which enhance the good capacities of both to retain and/or degrade these recalcitrant pollutants.Thus, the objective of this thesis has been the application of a novel anaerobic up-flow packed-bed reactor for the removal of some priority emergent pollutants.For this purpose anaerobic culture immobilized over activated carbon and/or carbonaceous material was utilized.Adsorption experiments of some studied pollutants were carried out over activated carbon, in order to delineate between how much is due to adsorption and how much to biotransformation. The results showed that with this novel system high degradation rates were obtained for each studied contaminants, between 0,14- 34,92 g L-1 d-1, at very short space times.On the other hand, preparation and surface chemistry modification of different carbon materials was studied in the thesis, taking into account the possibilities offered by these carbon materials to be modified and take benefit of their unique specific properties. Moreover, the complete mineralization of the azo dye Acid Orange 7 in an anaerobic-aerobic sequential system was investigated, obtaining a total removal efficiency of 80,28 % at total hydraulic residence time of approximately 49 h.