HIGH ORGANIC LOADING TREATMENT OF MOLASSES WASTEWATER BY COMBINED SYSTEM CONSISTED OF THERMOPHILIC MULTI-STAGED UASB REACTOR AND MESOPHILIC UASB REACTOR

Abstract

 We investigated performance of the combined system consisted of a thermophilic (55°C) multi-staged upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (MS-UASB) reactor and a mesophilic (35-40°C) UASB reactor for a high strength molasses wastewater treatment. In MS-UASB reactor at OLR of 42 kgCOD_cr·m^-3·d^-1, the average removal rates of COD_cr and BOD as the combined system were archived up to 82% and 90%, respectively. By microbial community analysis, high levels of genera Thermacetogenium and Methanothermobacter were observed in the granular sludges retained on MS-UASB reactor. It indicates that electron flow for methane production was depended on the way combined acetate oxidizing hydrogen production and hydrogen utilizing methane production.