Upflow Anaerobic Filter with Dual Media – A Novel Concept

To overcome two of the main problems intrinsic to upflow anaerobic filters using single media—clogging and biomass washout—a new strategy consisting of two different media is studied. The study is to evaluate the performance of Dual Media Upflow Anaerobic Filter (DM UAF), a novel wastewater treatment unit using synthetic waste as well as primary treated effluent of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Vatva, India, operated by The Green Environment Services Co-Operative Society Ltd. and also to compare the performance of DM UAF with Single media UAF on a laboratory scale. Biokinetics of DM UAF was also determined.A 14.45 L (167.7 cm high) Upflow Anaerobic Filter (UAF) was packed with media of high and low porosity, pall rings (95 percent) and sea shells (74 percent) one over the other. Performance of DM UAF was evaluated by determining percent chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. Synthetic glucose was first fed in DM UAF, which yielded percent COD removal efficiency of 88-98 percent. Oxidation of CETP waste using different treatment arrangements of laboratory scale DM UAF alone, as well as with ozonation, were used to convert the non biodegradable organics of CETP primary effluent into biodegradable organics. The treatments under evaluation were DM UAF, ozonation followed by DM UAF (pre-ozonation), DM UAF followed by ozonation (post-ozonation) and ozonation-DM UAF-ozonation. Based on the results and discussions, DM UAF followed by ozonation (post–ozonation) is found to be comparatively more effective as it offered an overall COD removal efficiency of 37 to 44 percent.