Anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater

Abstract

Anaerobic treatment has become the most frequently used method for the treatment of medium-and high-concentration effluents. The costs of construction, installation and operation of anaerobic reactors are lower than those of conventional aerobic units because the reactor does not require equipment for process maintenance and control. In fact, if the environmental conditions inside the reactor are adequate, anaerobic processes are mainly self-controlled. Additionally, the production of excess sludge is minimal, and energy balances are quite favourable due to the production of methane, even when heating is required. The use of anaerobic reactors for the treatment of low-strength wastewater, including domestic sewage and industrial effluents, has been definitively established in tropical and sub-tropical regions, where wastewater temperatures are above 20°C. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.