Anaerobic Systems
  

What Is Anaerobic Treatment?


Anaerobic treatment is a biological process ideally suited for the pretreatment of high-strength wastewaters that are typical of many industrial facilities. The anaerobic process utilizes naturally-occurring bacteria to break down biodegradable material in an industrial wastestream.

The anaerobic process is time-tested and does not require the purchase of special bacteria or nutrients. Because the bacteria are anaerobic they do not require oxygen like the organisms in an aerobic process. Reactors are enclosed or covered to prevent the introduction of air and the release of odors.

 

Applications

Anaerobic treatment is ideal for pretreatment, pretreatment prior to aerobic treatment, and pretreatment of segregated wastestreams. 
Used for standalone pretreatment, an anaerobic system can be used as the sole biological component of a treatment system for wastewater discharged to a POTW.


Used prior to aerobic treatment, an anaerobic system can be very effective and economical for removing high concentrations of BOD and COd prior to final treatment by an aerobic process.


Many industrial facilities have wastestreams that represent a fraction of the total flow, yet contribute a majority of the pollutant load. These high-BOD wastestreams can be segregated for treatment by an anaerobic process prior to combining with the total flow.

ETS anaerobic systems are very effective in wastewater treatment at a variety of industrial facilities, including: 

Bakeries 
Beverage production facilities 
Breweries and Wineries 
Chemical plants 
Dairies 
Food processing plants 
Meat and poultry processing plants 
Pharmaceutical plants 
Pulp and paper mills 
Rendering plants 
Textile mills 
  
  

Advantages of ETS Anaerobic Systems


There are many reasons to consider anaerobic treatment of an industrial wastewater, including:

Low sludge yield - Anaerobic systems typically produce a small fraction of the sludge generated by aerobic systems. This means that there is less sludge to dewater and dispose of.

Lower electrical requirements - Because an anaerobic system does not require oxygen, the high horsepower requirements of surface aerators or blowers are avoided.

Higher organic loading - Anaerobic systems are capable of providing high treatment efficiencies at BOD concentrations ranging from 1,000 mg/L to 20,000 mg/L. These systems are also typically more effective than aerobic systems at COD removal.

Energy production - A byproduct of anaerobic degradation of pollutants is the production of a methane-rich biogas which can be used to supplement or replace natural gas for fueling plant boilers, engine generators, and other energy systems.

Good process stability - The anaerobic process is very stable under varying hydraulic and organic loadings and other conditions that may cause upsets in other types of biological systems.

Lower nutrient requirements - Anaerobic systems require a fraction of the nitrogen and phosphorus that an aerobic system does.

Lower operating costs - Because anaerobic systems require less nutrients and electrical input and generate less sludge than aerobic systems, they have inherently lower operating costs.

 

Types of Systems

  
ETS features a number of anaerobic systems that can be tailored for specific wastewater applications.

Packed Anaerobic Bed Reactors (PABRs) - These systems are designed for providing treatment for high-strength, low-solids wastewaters. PABRs are hybrid systems consisting of both suspended-growth and fixed-film sections, which makes these systems capable of handling relatively high organic and hydraulic loads at short retention times.

Hybrid Anarobic Lagoons (HALs) - HALs are suspended-growth systems designed to provide treatment of very high strength, high-solids wastewaters. They feature advanced mixing and flow management to promote high removal efficiencies, even under significant load variations. HALs are often designed to handle high-solids wastewaters that may otherwise require physical-chemical pretreatment prior to a biological process.

Packaged Anaerobic Systems - These modular anaerobic systems, available in suspended-growth or fixed-film configurations, are suited for small wastewater flows of 2,000 to 20,000 GPD. These units can be delivered complete to a project site, requiring only simple electrical and piping connections. The modular design allows for easy expansion and movement to new locations.

  

DAF Literature

  
View our literature page for ETS brochures and other information.