VIJAY KAHO, ASHOK K. SHARMA, SARITA SHARMA AND SANJAY VERMA
Abstract
The present study is aimed to assess the efficiency of Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor under different operating conditions. Anaerobic treatment of dairy wastewater by UASB reactor, operated on anaerobic sludge granules developed from digested cow dung slurry and earthworm cultured soil conducted under the mesophilic (20-40°C). A PVC pipe with a diameter of 11cm and total height of 115 cm and effective height of 69.4 cm was used with a working volume of 6.6 L as a reactor. The COD concentration used in the present study ranges between 500 mg/L to 3300 rnWL. The digester efficiency of treating dairy wastewater at varying HRT of 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h with the corresponding OLR are 2.12, 2.02, 1.52, 1.02 and 0.68 kg COD/m3/day respectively. During this study, which lasted for 41 days when pH was maintained between 6.9 to 7.5. Finally, the COD concentrations of the UASB reactor effluent with optimum 111C1 of 48h and OLR of 1.02 kg COD/m3/day was obtained to be 1003 mg/L corresponding to treatment efficiency of 67%.