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Start-up and operation of anaerobic biofilters with packing alternatives

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Abstract

Four types of anaerobic upflow biofilters: non-packed (NP-AUBF), two-stage (2S-AUBF), multi-stage (MS-AUBF) and fully-packed (FP-AUBF), were tested for their start-up and operational performance characteristics. The volume of each filter was 12.1 dm3 (10 cm I.D.x155 cm in height).

Stepwise seeding was conducted and the effect on the reduction of COD and gas production was monitored. When each reactor was loaded with 2 and 4 kg COD/m3-day of synthetic waste simulating alcohol production plant, 2S-, MS-, FP-AUBF had treatment efficiencies of 89–93%, while NP-AUBF showed efficiencies lower than 50%. As a conclusion, 2S- or MS-AUBF can be used as efficiently as FP-AUBF, while the amount of packings in the former is half that in FP-AUBF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering Laboratory Division of Chemical Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 131, 130-650, Dongdaemun, Seoul, Korea

    Y. S. Choi, E. B. Shin & H. N. Chang

  2. Department of Microbial Engineering, Konkuk University, 93-1, Mogin-Dong, Sungdong-Gu, 133-140, Seoul, Korea

    H. K. Chung

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  1. Y. S. Choi
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  2. E. B. Shin
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Choi, Y.S., Shin, E.B., Chang, H.N. et al. Start-up and operation of anaerobic biofilters with packing alternatives. Bioprocess Eng. 4, 275–281 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00368902

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