EVALUATION STUDIES ON AERATION METHODS FOR TREATING SUGAR EFFLUENT IN SUSPENDED-GROWTH AEROBIC REACTOR

摘要

The sugar mill effluent is characteristically biodegradable with BOD_5 of 1000-2500 mg/L and COD of 2000-4500 mg/L. The biodegradability varies from 0.3-0.5. The present study evaluates the performance of suspended-growth aerobic reactor, operated under different methods of aeration systems, viz.. diffused aeration and surface aeration for treating the sugar mill effluent. The model was run under varying operating conditions, viz.. influent flow rates (0.19, 0.38, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.50 L/hr) and influent COD (1036.67, 1526.84, 1995.68, 2549.61 and 3016.72 mg/L). The OLR (0.6498, 0.9725. 1 4125. 1.9651 and 2.5084 kg COD/MLSS day) and HRT (48, 24, 18, 12 and 06 hrs) are interpreted for the respective conditions of flow rate and influent COD. The COD removal was observed for a maximum of 86.73% starting from 65.90% for surface aeration and a maximum of 88.76% from 67.50% COD removal for diffused aeration.