Title: Colour Removal by Thermophilic Anaerobic Granular Sludge

Primary Researcher: Andre Bezerra dos Santos
Email address: andre.dossantos@wur.nl
Submitted on: August 29, 2002

Start date: 04 September 2001
End date: 04 December 2004

Introduction:

Almost one million tones of dyes are produced annually in the world, of which about seventy percent represent the azo dye group. Most researches on the treatment of dye-wastewater have been focused on mesophilic range and reactive azo dyes, mainly because they are used in the cotton fibre, of which the demand has been considerably increased in the last years. In addition, they have a very low fixation capacity into the fibers and the conventional wastewater treatment plants have a very low efficiency in treating it. Such wastewater are mainly characterized by a high temperature and high concentration of organic material, salts and color. Nevertheless the feseability of thermophilic anaerobic treatment using madiator compounds to reduce color and HRT required never was investigated.

Aim:

The main aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of thermophilic treatment and redox mediators on colour removal of textile wastewaters.

Research:

The capacity of thermophilic anaerobic reactors to support colour reduction have been investigated, giving attention to the kinetic properties for color reduction either in the present or absent of reduced compounds.The impact of redox mediators such as anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on the performance of decolourising reactors and the influence of temperature in the biotic and abiotic color reduction when reduced compounds are either present or absent in the wastewater have also been evaluated.

Future Research

Comparative study between mesophilic and thermophilic, treating wastewater from textile industry, either in the presence or absence of redox mediator.

External Funding Sponsors

CNPq-Brazil (Project number 200488/01-5)