Effect of the influent COD concentration on the anaerobic digestion of winery wastewaters from grape-red and tropical fruit (guava) wine production in fluidized bed reactors with chilean natural zeolite for biomass immobilization

Abstract

The effect of the influent COD concentration on the performance of anaerobic fluidized bed reactors treating winery wastewaters from grape-red wine (GRWW) and guava wine production (GWW) was studied at laboratory scale. Two reactors were used: one treating GRWW (AFB1) and the other processing GWW (AFB2). The behaviour of these reactors packed with Chilean zeolite as biomass immobilization support was compared at mesophilic temperature (35 °C). Influent COD varied from 1–24 g L –1 and the HRT was maintained constant at 1 day throughout the experiment. During the experiment, influent and effluent pH, TVFA, COD and methane gas production were determined. COD removal efficiency increased with the influent COD up to a maximum of around 19 g L –1 for GRWW and up to around 22 g L –1 for GWW due to the increase of the concentration of phenols. Process performance was slightly better with guava winery wastewater than with grape-red winery wastewater due its lower phenolic content. During the period of non-inhibition the methane yield was virtually constant.