Anaerobic Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters with Anaerobic Moving-bed Biofilm Reactors (AnMBBRs)

Moving-bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) can be used for anaerobic wastewater treatment. This work demonstrates the applicability of anaerobic MBBRs (AnMBBRs) for industrial wastewater treatment. The literature on wastewater treatment with AnMBBRs was reviewed. Laboratoryscale AnMBBRs (4L, AnoxK™5 or Z carriers) were evaluated for treating two industrial wastewaters: one oil-contaminated wastewater (36 gCOD/L) and a food-factory wastewater (882-3190mgCOD/L). AnMBBRs can treat various wastewaters with high removals, stability, and flexibility in operating conditions. AnMBBRs can treat both easily degradable (Foodbeverage: breweries, wineries, diaries) and more difficult-to-degrade wastewaters (Textile, pulp and paper, and oil and gas sectors). Both mesophilic (37°C) and thermophilic (50°C) AnMBBRs achieved COD reductions around 60% (HRT=30d) treating the oil-contaminated wastewater; however, mesophilic conditions ensured higher removals (67%COD) and methane yields at higher loads (1.1kgCOD/m3 d). The AnMBBRs achieved CODsoluble removals >86% treating the food-factory wastewater. Thinner biofilms (200μm-Z-200 carrier) led to lower removals (51- 60%CODsoluble) due to limited biomass inventory.