The Simulation and Experimental Study of COD Removal from Rubber Industrial Wastewater using Anaerobic Fixed Bed Reactors

Abstract

Industrial wastewater from natural rubber factories has a strong odor due to its high organic content of mostly protein compounds. An anaerobic fixed bed reactor (AFBR) can be used in treating rubber wastewater due to the reactor’s ease of operation and short residence time. However, the reactor's design parameters need to be modeled and tested for use in a laboratory before it can be used industrially. This study aims to examine the effect of immobilization media and the presence of trace element, Fe(II), in AFBR for the treatment of natural rubber wastewater. The reactor was operated in two modes: batch and semicontinuous modes. The removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and methane production during the process were monitored, and the kinetics of COD decomposition were simulated. A high reaction rate constant and high COD removal rate of more than 90% was observed when the reactor was operated using immobilized media and Fe(II).