A bio-oxidation study of methanol synthetic wastewater using the SBR

Abstract

Bio-oxidation and biomass generation in a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) were investigated. This paper presents the results obtained from an SBR treating a synthetic wastewater used to simulate a pharmaceutical wastewater. Nutrient removal and biokinetics of the SBR process, as well as dissolved oxygen and pH variations during bio-oxidation, were discussed. COD and BOD removal efficiencies were good. System stability was achieved within 2 weeks of each change of feed strength. The 48-h cycle adopted was found to be sufficient to force the biomass into endogenous respiration, hence controlling the excess biomass formed through assimilation of the feed's organic carbon. Although the ammonia-nitrogen level in the feed was high, nitrification was not observed. Track monitoring of DO and pH was found to provide good indications of the completion of bio-oxidation.