Performance Evaluation of Industrial Brewery Wastewater Biologic Treatment in an UASB Reactor Using Activated Sludge in Republic of Congo
K. M. Mbemba *
Unité de Chimie du Végétal et de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien NGOUABI, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, République du Congo and Centre de Recherche et d’innovation des Projets de Technologie (CRIPT), Cité Scientifique, Avenue de Gascogne, Brazzaville, République du Congo.
H. M. Bounkosso
Unité de Chimie du Végétal et de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien NGOUABI, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, République du Congo.
A. C. Kayath
Unité de biologie cellulaire et moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien NGOUABI, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, République du Congo and Institut National de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles (IRSEN), Cité Scientifique, Avenue de l’auberge de Gascogne, B.P. 2400, Brazzaville, République du Congo.
J. M. Ouamba
Unité de Chimie du Végétal et de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien NGOUABI, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, République du Congo.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The brewing industry generates large amounts of wastewater which are released into surface water after treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of the anaerobic treatment of brewery wastewaters in a UASB bioreactor containing activated sludge. After six-weeks operation, 30 samples were taken. Physicochemical analyzes were carried out on activated sludge (T, pH, VFA) and raw and treated waters (T, pH, AT, CAT, TSS, and COD). These analyzes showed that the conditions of the environment were favorable to an optimal growth of the bacteria: temperatures and pH were mostly mesophilic. the ionization of VFA was continuous and their concentration increased at the exit of the bioreactor thus revealing a significant conversion of organic materials by bacteria. The average values of the physicochemical parameters of the raw and treated wastewaters respectively increased from 31.5°C to 35°C for the temperature, from 8.9 to 7.5 for the pH, to 5.54 mg/l at 0 for AT, from 12.35 mg/l to 3.45 mg/l for TAC, from 234.08 mg/l to 129.61 mg/l for TSS and from 1637 mg/l to 282, 46 mg/l for COD. The effectiveness of the treatment allowed a COD reduction ranging from 70 to 94%.
Keywords: Brewery wastewaters, anaerobic treatment, sludge, bacteria.