Sains Malaysiana 52(4)(2023): 1087-1099

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5204-05

Anaerobic Biological Treatment of Wastewater from Paper Recycling Industry by UASB Reactor

(Rawatan Biologi Anaerobik Air Sisa daripada Industri Kitar Semula Kertas oleh Reaktor UASB)

AAIMA IFTIKHAR¹, MALIK TAHIR HAYAT¹, BIBI SAIMA ZEB¹, MARIA SIDDIQUE¹, ZULFIQAR AHMED BHATTI¹, UMARA ABBASI¹ & QAISAR MAHMOOD^1,2,*

¹Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan

²Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain

Received: 4 October 2022/Accepted: 25 March 2023

Abstract

The use of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for the treatment of paper recycling industry effluent containing different pollutants was investigated. In the first phase, reactor was fed with anaerobic sludge and in the second phase, synthetic influent solution with different macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients, trace elements as well as glucose were added as a basis of food and energy. In order to enhance sludge granulation and increase the growth, anaerobic bacterial biomass culture was added and operated for one month. Samples from paper recycling industry effluent with different dilutions were analyzed at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h and at 37 °C mesophilic temperature. The removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), total solids (TS), nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu) and pH were upto 87%, 93%, 77%, 79%, 88%, 82%, 92%, 94%, 86%, 91%, 93%, 98%, 98%, and 7.21 with different of wastewater concentration/percent dilutions 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1, 10:0 wastewater. This study concluded that UASB technique was a suitable choice for treating different pollutants in paper recycling industry wastewater.

Keywords: Paper recycling industry wastewater; substrate utilization rate; upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor; wastewater treatment

Abstrak

Penggunaan reaktor enapcemar anaerobik aliran atas (UASB) untuk rawatan efluen industri kitar semula kertas yang mengandungi bahan pencemar berbeza telah dikaji. Pada fasa pertama, reaktor telah disuap dengan enapcemar anaerobik dan pada fasa kedua, larutan influen sintetik dengan nutrien makro dan mikro-nutrien yang berbeza, unsur surih serta glukosa ditambah sebagai asas makanan dan tenaga. Untuk meningkatkan granulasi enap cemar dan meningkatkan pertumbuhan, kultur biojisim bakteria anaerobik telah ditambah dan dikendalikan selama satu bulan. Sampel daripada efluen industri kitar semula kertas dengan pencairan berbeza dianalisis pada masa pengekalan hidraulik (HRT) selama 24 jam dan pada suhu mesofilik 37 °C. Kecekapan penyingkiran permintaaan oksigen kimia (COD), permintaan oksigen biologi (BOD), kekonduksian elektrik (EC), jumlah pepejal terlarut (TDS), jumlah pepejal terampai (TSS), jumlah pepejal (TS), nitrat, fosfat, logam berat (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu) dan pH adalah sehingga 87%, 93%, 77%, 79%, 88%, 82%, 92%, 94%, 86%, 91%, 93%, 98%, 98% dan 7.21 dengan kepekatan air sisa/peratus pencairan 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1, 10:0 air sisa. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa teknik UASB adalah pilihan yang sesuai untuk merawat bahan pencemar yang berbeza dalam air sisa industri kitar semula kertas.

Kata kunci: Air sisa industri kitar semula kertas; kadar penggunaan substrat; rawatan air sisa; reaktor enapcemar anaerobik aliran atas (UASB)

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^*Corresponding author; email: mahmoodzju@gmail.com