The effect of packing media addition on biogas production from rubber industrial wastewater

Abstract

Latex is a yellowish colloidal liquid from rubber trees that can be used for natural rubber production. The latex processing creates quite large volume of wastewater that has very strong odor and high organic content which is suitable for biogas production in providing renewable energy resources. The purpose of this research is to study and optimize the biogas production from latex wastewater using 40L packed bed anaerobic reactors with support media of bio-balls or called anaerobic filter reactor. Some key parameters of sCOD, pH, and methane gas composition have been observed. The reactor was operated batch for 36 days with or without packing media (bio-balls). The optimum results of sCOD removal was 81,73% and methane gas content of 55.089% using reactor with packing. The anaerobic filter column was used in continuous mode with 2L/day influent that can reach a steady condition within about 20 days and produce up to 95% COD removal.