THE DETERMINATION OF ANAEROBIC BIODEGRADABILITY OF PHARMACEUTICAL WASTES BY METHANOGENIC ACTIVITY TESTS

Methanogenic activity tests were used for the determination of anaerobic biodegradability of some concentrated wastes from the pharmaceutical industry-waste biomass from threonine production, mycelium after penicillium extraction, and excess activated sludge from the treatment of other pharmaceutical wastewaters. The tests were performed in 120 ml vials for each of the wastes and for a mixture of the wastes in a real ratio. The mixture was tested at a wide range of initial biomass loading (1.15-8.8 gCOD/gVSS). The anaerobic biodegradability of the threonine biomass, the mycelium and the activated sludge was determined as 81.3%, 94.3% and 44.4% respectively, and the average biodegradability of the mixture as 85.8%. Retention times needed for an 80% degradation efficiency were evaluated and used as a proposal for the starting-up biomass loading rate of the continuous reactor operation. An optimum substrate concentration without an inhibition effect was estimated and a specific methane yield for each waste and for the mixture determined.