Treatment of dairy wastewater in UASB-UF system

Czestochowa University of Technology, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Dabrowskiego 69, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland

^* Corresponding author: akwarciak@is.pcz.czest.pl

Abstract

The examinations concerned determination of the treatment efficiency of wastewater form dairy industry using the system which combines methane fermentation with ultrafiltration process. The study attempted to determine the effect of HRT and OLR on the degree of biodegradation of contaminants contained in the sludge examined and on the quality and amount of biogas. The anaerobic process obtained a considerable degree of the removal of organic pollutants from raw wastewater designated as COD (73.8%), BOD (81.2%) and TOC (76%). The concentrations of COD and BOD were 1053 mg/dm³ and 329 mg/dm³, respectively. The value of TOC reached a level of 288 mg/dm³. Generated biogas in the methane fermentation process of wastewater from dairy wastewater was characterized by high methane content (82 % vol.). In the final part of the experiment, the UF process was used in order to posttreating effluent from UASB reactor. During the UF process, COD, BOD and TOC parameters were removed at 72%, 63% and 67%, respectively.