Increased microbial resistance to toxic wastewater by sludge granulation in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor

The relationship between the layered structure of granules UASB reactors and microbial resistance to toxicity was investigated using disintegrated granules. When no toxic materials were added to the media, the intact and disintegrated granules exhibited almost the same ability to decrease COD and to produce methane. However, when metal ions and organic toxic chemicals were added to a synthetic wastewater, the intact granules were found to be more resistant to toxicity than the disintegrated granules, as determined by the methane production. The difference in resistance between the intact and disintegrated granules was maximal, with toxicant concentrations ranging from 0.5 mM to 2 mM for trichloroethylene with toluene and 5 mM to 20 mM for metal ions (copper, nickel, zinc, chromium, and cadmium ions). The augmented COD removal rate by granulation compared to disintegrated granules was also measured in the treatment of synthetic and real wastewaters; synthetic wastewater, -2.6%; municipal wastewater, 2.8%; swine wastewater, 6.4%; food wastewater, 25.0%; dye works wastewater, 42.9%; and landfill leachate, 61.8%. Continuous reactor operation also demonstrated that the granules in the UASB reactor were helpful in treating toxic wastewater, such as landfill leachate.