Biological degradation of surfactant in anaerobic reactor

Abstract

Wastewater with high organic matter load and toxic compounds contribute to the global pollution problem. Nowadays, the need to reduce the toxic potential of wastewater is increasing. Thus, this research project intends to study the possibilities of degradation of Sulphonated Linear Alkylbenzene (LAS), the most widely used anionic surfactant in the detergent formulation. Surfactants are widely used in household and industrial cleaning products and, consequently, are present in wastewater treatment plants where they are partially degraded aerobically and partially adsorbed into the sludge that will be disposed in the soil or in landfills. The present project has as main objective to evaluate the degradation of LAS surfactant present in anaerobic biological reactor operated in sequential batch. After the adaptation of anaerobic biomass from a UASB reactor treating poultry manure, synthetic substrate simulating sanitary sewage will be fed to the batch reactor with a concentration of 20 mg / L of LAS. The following routine analyzes will be carried out on the influent and on the effluent of the reactor: pH, alkalinity, volatile acids, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and LAS concentration. It will be possible to calculate the removal efficiencies of both organic matter and LAS according to the reactor operating conditions such as cycle time.