Effect of HRT on mesophilic acidogenesis of dairy wastewater

Effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the acidogenesis of dairy wastewater was studied using an upflow reactor at pH 5.5, 37 degreesC, and six HRTs ranging from 4 to 24 h. Results showed that the degree of acidification increased rapidly with HRT from 28.2% at 4 h to 54.1% at 12 h; further increase of HRT to 16 and 24 h only increased acidification slightly to 55.8 and 59.1%, respectively. The biodegradability of the three major constituents in dairy wastewater increased with HRT, following the order of carbohydrates > proteins > lipids. The predominant products were acetate, propionate, butyrate, lactate, and ethanol.