Process Biotechnology |
|
Environmental Biotechnology |
| Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 |
Vol.
12 No. 2, Issue of April 15, 2009 |
| © 2009 by Pontificia Universidad Católica
de Valparaíso -- Chile |
Received April 24, 2008 / Accepted November 3, 2008 |
| DOI: 10.2225/vol12-issue2-fulltext-8 |
|
Technical and economic feasibility of
gradual concentric chambers reactor for sewage treatment in developing
countries
Lourdes Mendoza
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and
Technology
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Coupure Links 653, B-9000
Ghent, Belgium
Marta Carballa
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and
Technology
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Coupure Links 653, B-9000
Ghent, Belgium
Berlian Sitorus
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and
Technology
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Coupure Links 653, B-9000
Ghent, Belgium
Jan Pieters
Department of Biosystems Engineering
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Coupure Links 653, B-9000
Ghent, Belgium
Willy Verstraete*
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and
Technology
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Coupure Links 653, B-9000
Ghent, Belgium
Fax: 32 0 9 264 62 48
E-mail: willy.verstraete@ugent.be
*Corresponding author
Financial support: Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) and the Xunta de
Galicia (Ángeles Alvariño program, AA-065).
Keywords: developing countries, mesophilic, nutrients removal,
reactor design, sewage.
Abbreviations: |
COD: chemical oxygen demand
DO: dissolved oxygen
GCC: gradual concentric
chambers
HRT: hydraulic retention
time
I.E.: inhabitant equivalent
SND: simultaneous
nitrification-denitrification process
TAN: total ammonia nitrogen
TKN: total kjeldahl nitrogen
TON: total oxidised nitrogen
TSS: total suspended solid
UASB: upflow anaerobic
sludge bed
VFA: volatile fatty acids
VSS: volatile suspended
solids |
A major challenge in developing countries
concerning domestic wastewaters is to decrease their treatment costs. In the
present study, a new cost-effective reactor called gradual concentric chambers
(GCC) was designed and evaluated at lab-scale. The effluent quality of the GCC
reactor was compared with that of an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB)
reactor. Both reactors showed organic matter removal efficiencies of 90%;
however, the elimination of nitrogen was higher in the GCC reactor. The amount
of biogas recovered in the GCC and the UASB systems was 50% and 75% of the
theoretical amount expected, respectively, and both reactors showed a slightly
higher methane production when the feed was supplemented with an additive based
on vitamins and minerals. Overall, the economical analysis, the simplicity of
design and the performance results revealed that the GCC technology can be of
particular interest for sewage treatment in developing countries.
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