Preliminary evaluation of field parameters at an anaerobic biodigester designed for the treatment of wastewater

• Published in: Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología
• Main Authors: Sánchez Góngora, María Antonieta, Peón Escalante, Ignacio Enrique, Cardona Juárez, Teresita, Ortega Arroyo, Lesli, Urriolagoitia Calderón, Guillermo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá - Instituto de Biotecnología 2016
• Subjects: agua residual; agua tratada; biodigestión; biodigestores de flujo continuo; digestor; temperatura psicrofílica; Baja; Arctic
• Online Access: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/biotecnologia/article/view/57725

The anaerobic biodigester analyzed in the present study was designed for the treatment of domestic wastewater in a test restroom, characterized by its continuous flow, low organic load and a four-stage processing system.The value of the prototype under research consists in the real daily conditions under which it was tested. The first stage consisted of the site selection, and the manufacture of a waterproof iron reinforced cement prototype, with a 1m3 loading capacity. At this stage, during the period from august to december 2011, the reactor was inoculated with organic matter originating from the aforementioned restroom discharges.The evaluation of this stage consisted in taking measurements of the following field parameters: pH, electrical conductivity, sedimentable solids, and inflow and outflow temperature along the system. These records substantiated the behaviour of the processes within the digester during the starting phase.The results obtained through these determinations at both the biodigester entry and exit points are respectively: pH (8.03; 8.43), electrical conductivity (1510.83 µS/cm; 1207.00 µS/cm), inflow and outflow temperatures (19.2°C; 20.1°C), sedimentable solids (144.5mL/L; 0.02mL/L) and dissolved oxygen (4.5992 mg/L; 0.1924 g/L). These data provided a starting point for the treatment of domestic wastewater.Key words: wastewater, treated water, biodigestion, continuous flow biodigesters, digester, psychrophilic temperature. El biodigestor anaerobio utilizado en este estudio, se diseñó para tratar agua residual doméstica en un sanitario de prueba, que se caracteriza por ser de: flujo continuo, baja carga orgánica y tener cuatro etapas de proceso.La importancia del prototipo estudiado radicó en las condiciones reales en que se probó. La primera etapa consistió en la selección del sitio, construcción del prototipo en ferrocemento con capacidad de 1m3, impermeabilización y carga. En esta etapa se inoculó el reactor con materia orgánica procedente de las descargas del sanitario, durante el ...