Performance study of hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater

Anaerobic wastewater treatment process has quickly risen as a viable option for treating high strength wastewater. A large amount of slaughterhouse wastewater is generated during meat product manufacturing due to the cleaning process. It contains high concentrations of organic matter, oil and grease, and nitrogenous compounds (proteins and amino acids). Hence, its treatment before discharge is necessary for protection of the water environment. Given the high biodegradability of slaughterhouse wastewater, biological processes are considered to be suitable for organic matter removal. The performance of a laboratory scale Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (HUASBR) has been studied in semi batch mode of operation for the removal of organic carbon from Slaughter House Wastewater (SHWW). The reactor was operated under initial Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentration 25000-30000 mg/L. Total batch period was taken maximum 72 h and the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) was provided in the range of 1000 +/- 50 mg/L to 4200 +/- 50 mg/L. It was observed that 74% of COD removal could be obtained at the end of 72 h. Apart from that a steady gas production was noticed.