Kinetic analysis of an anaerobic fixed-film fixed bed-reactor treating wastewater arising from production of a chemically synthesized pharmaceutical

The kinetics of the treatment of a pharmaceutical wastewater (PW), pretreated in a first stage by electrocaogulation (EC), using an anaerobic fixed-film fixed-bed reactor was investigated. The experimental results for the substrate removal kinetics were found to be in good agreement with those of the Monod model and the modified Stover-Kincannon model, with a high regression value (R-2 > 0.9). For the modified Stover-Kincannon model, the constants U-max and K-B were found to be 13.1 and 13.87 kg COD/(m(3) . d) respectively. With reference to the biomass kinetics, the increase in organic loading rate (OLR) is attributed to the increased biomass growth rate (mu) and decrease in the biological constant K-mu. The corresponding constants for the modified Monod's model, i.e. 'mu(max) and decay constant K-d, were found to be 0.159 and 0.0113 d(-1) respectively. Finally, the gas production kinetics was interpreted in relation to the Kincannon-Stover model.