USBF Performance in Treating Sugar Industries Wastewater

Upflow Sludge Blanket Filtration (USBF) system is a modification of the conventional activated sludge process that incorporates an anoxic zone with an upflow sludge blanket filtration clarifier in one bioreactor. It has no inherent capacity limits and is used in a wide range of applications in municipal, industrial and agricultural wastewater treatment. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a continuous USBF reactor for the treatment of sugar industrial wastewater. Sixty liter laboratory pilot scale plant was made of plexiglass consists of 14 liter anoxic zone, 38 liter aerobic zone and 8 liter clarifier. Used molasses for raw wastewater was obtained from Varamin Sugar Company. During the study, the wastewater has been initially fed to anoxic zone of the bioreactor. It mixed with recycled activated sludge returned from the clarifier and the mixed liquor entered into aerobic zone of the bioreactor. From aeration zone, the mixed liquor passed through the sludge zone at the bottom of the clarifier which was then separated by upflow sludge blanket filtration and then the clear water discharged from the system. To complete the internal circulation loop, collected activated sludge at the bottom of the clarifier was recycled to the anoxic zone. Experimental studies indicated that average removal efficiency of COD with HRTs from 21 to 26 hours in the aerobic zone and from 8 to 10 hours in the anoxic zone were from 77 to 97 percent depended on input feed (1000 to 30000 mg/L). USBF as an advanced biological process had a proper COD removal efficiency for the biological treatment of sugar industries wastewater compared to other researchers methods.