Biodegradation of aircraft deicing fluid in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor

Dilute aircraft deicing fluid (ADF) wastewater (5, 10 and 20 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L) can be successfully treated in Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors at volumetric organic loading rates as high as 10 g COD/L/d, with COD removal efficiencies between 85 and 98 percent. UASB reactors in this study treating ADF solutions of 20 g COD/L at OLR of 19.3 and 38.7 g COD/L/D achieved COD removal efficiencies of 75 and 70 percent, respectively. The maximum specific COD removal efficiency for successful ADF treatment in UASB reactors was 0.7 g COD/g VSS/d.