ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF EUCALYPTUS FIBERBOARD MANUFACTURING WASTE-WATER BY A HYBRID USBF LAB-SCALE REACTOR

A hybrid upflow sludge bed-filter anaerobic reactor (USBF) at lab-scale was used for the treatment of eucalyptus fiberboard manufacturing wastewater at 37 degrees C. A physical-chemical pre-treatment adding a neutral polyelectrolyte was applied to remove inert solids present in the wastewater that may accumulate in the reactor. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removals around 94% were obtained at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 14.8 kg COD m(-3) d(-1), corresponding to a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 days. About 70% of COD was converted to methane, giving a volumetric yield of 2.6 m(3) CH4 m(-3) reactor d(-1) and about 7.8 m(3) CH4 m(-3) 4 wastewater. The biogas methane content was approximately 53%.