Anaerobic reactor, the optimal solution for water with high COD

El anaerobic reactor It has emerged as a revolutionary piece of equipment in wastewater treatment, increasing its potential when used alongside a aerobic reactor. By combining both pieces of equipment, high loads can be successfully treated. COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and large flow rates. But why is this technology gaining so much traction?

In this type of biological reactor, the The bacteria present are capable of degenerating organic matter (COD) without the presence of oxygen. As a result, a stream of biogas is produced that can generate energy.

Anaerobic biological reactors have great potential in wastewater treatment; they make it possible to valorize the organic matter present in wastewater and achieve maximum efficiency and sustainability in industrial water management.

These types of reactors are based on the anaerobic technologywhich is composed of two types of equipment: anaerobic reactors and anaerobic digestersThe first, as we mentioned earlier, is used for wastewater treatment, while the digester is used for waste treatment, such as sludge. In both cases, this equipment allows for maximizing the potential of organic waste by extracting biogas and, in the case of digesters, digestate. This digestate can then be used as fertilizer, thanks to anaerobic digestion.

Why opt for an anaerobic biological treatment?

 Among the most important advantages of anaerobic biological treatment, we find the following:

• Reduce operating expenses: It does not require aeration to function properly, needs fewer nutrients, and generates less sludge than aerobic digestion. This results in lower operating costs. In short, it achieves Reduce OPEX costs: energy expenses (savings of up to 70%), expenses for reagents and sludge management and treatment.
• Lower nutrient costs: Specifically, it needs 5 times fewer nutrients than an aerobic system.
• Less sludge generated: Regarding sludge, it produces up to 8 times less sludge than the other treatment.
• Low space requirements: It usually occupies less space than aerobic systems, with the resulting cost reductions.
• Potential uses of the biogas produced: During the anaerobic reaction, biogas is generated that can be used to heat the water entering the reactor, as the reaction occurs within a specific temperature range. Heating the influent is not always necessary, but in cases where it is required, the biogas helps reduce operating expenses (OPEX).
• Good resistance to variable input: It maintains proper functioning under changes in load and concentration within certain limits.
• Anaerobic sludge can remain inactive: Anaerobic sludge can be preserved (inactive) for many months without serious deterioration; this is ideal when it is intended for use in seasonal discharges.
• It is capable of treating very high COD loads When dealing with influents with high loads, an aerobic reactor would need to be very large to adequately manage the flow. This increased size would significantly raise operating expenses (OPEX) due to the costs of aeration and sludge management.

As we have indicated before, having aerobic and anaerobic technology combined helps to obtain good results in waters with high COD load and large flow rates, thanks to the fact that anaerobic biological treatment compensates for some of the limitations of aerobic treatment.

Limitsaerobic reactor emissions compensated thanks to the anaerobic reactor

As we have indicated before, The aerobic reactor requires aeration for proper functioningbecause their bacteria need oxygen to break down the organic load. These aerators require large amounts of energy to deliver air to the bacteria and for the reaction to occur, increasing operating costs.

In the anaerobic reactor, since the reaction takes place in the absence of oxygen, these costs do not need to be considered. In addition to the expense of operating the aerators, the aerobic reactor produces a high amount of sludge which then need to be managed properly, increasing operating expenses. By combining both technologies, sludge generation is considerably reduced.

Ideal industries for the anaerobic reactor

In industries with wastewater containing high COD levels, anaerobic sludge blanket (ASB) reactors become the solution for achieving appropriate discharge parameters. These industries are typically, primarily, agri-food and beverages, such as wineries, breweries, juice manufacturing, fruit, etc. That is, those that work with products of plant and/or animal origin.

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