METHANOGENIC ACTIVITY TEST FOR THE ACETYL EFFLUENT

Abstract

Treatment of wastewater generating from alcohol recovery column-II of acetyl section of Jubilant Organosys Limited, Gajraula was a problem as it has very high concentration of lower carboxylic acids. The COD of effluent fluctuates between 18.000 mg/1 and 32,000 mg/I while BOD varies from 9,500 mg/I to 15,000 mg/I. The total generation of wastewater was between 650 and 850 m3/day, Bio-degradability of the acetic acid is poor but as the wastewater contained mixture of formic acid. acetic acid. etc. and ethyl acetate and aldehyde. The biodegradation of this wastewater was envisaged, The methanogenic activity tests were conducted to test the treatability of this effluent in a UASB treatment system. The activity test employed in this study used to evaluate the microbial activity for the utilization of substrate in wastewater, which contains lower carboxylic acids as acetate. The active biomass (sludge) used in the experiment was also collected from JOL. Gajraula. It was observed that the activity followed the methane production rate. The activity tests for finding kinetic coefficients were performed using the optimum value of COD/VSS ratio i.e.0.5. The yield coefficient as calculated from the experiment was equal to 0.04125 gVSS/gCOD. The efficiency of the wastewater treatment system as calculated was having a value of 77.31%; The volume (mi) of CH4 produced per (mg) of COD reduction was found to be 0.35 m]/mg indicating the generation of methane from the wastewater taken for the experiment