The Effect of Sulphate on Propionate and Butyrate Degradation in a Psychrophilic Anaerobic Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB) Reactor
- 1 September 1996
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Environmental Technology
- Vol. 17 (9) , 997-1005
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09593331708616468
Abstract
The effect of sulphate on the anaerobic psychrophilic degradation of propionate and butyrate was studied using an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor. The EGSB reactor was operated at organic loading rates 7 – 12 kg COD·m-3·day-1, at hydraulic retention times of 2.5 – 1.6 h and at three different sulphate concentrations. The results of the continuous flow experiments and of batch experiments with sludge from the EGSB reactor reveal that the psychrophilic degradation of propionate is strongly affected by the presence of sulphate. Addition of 0.266 g SO4 2−-S·dm-3 to the medium resulted in a 35 % increase in the propionate conversion rate. In contrast, the butyrate degradation rate decreased by 32 % in the presence of sulphate. Syntrophic acetogenic butyrate-oxidizing consortia seem to compete effectively with sulphate reducing bacteria.Keywords
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