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Performance evaluation and kinetic modeling of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket septic tank for domestic wastewater treatment

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Abstract

This work evaluated the UASB-septic tank performance using different kinetic models that correlated process efficiency and methane production with hydraulic and organic loading rates through experiments with five different HRT (48 h, 36 h, 24 h, 18 h, and 12 h) using synthetic domestic wastewater. The modified Stover-Kincannon model provided the best fitting to calculate kinetics constants, with an R2 above 98% for linear regression, and predicted the effluent COD more accurately than the other models. Methane yield was 0.3294 L CH4/g COD removed, being closer to the theoretical value, and the Van der Meer and Heertjes model had the highest R2 for methane production. Organic matter and solids removal were 45% for TS, 70% and 68% for total and soluble COD, and 85% for TSS. Pollutant removal markedly decreased when the reactor operated HRT below 24 h; thus, it is recommended to operate the UASB-septic tank at this HRT.

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Data availability

The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study are openly available in the Mendeley data repository at https://doi.org/10.17632/dx7gjkhnkj.1.

Abbreviations

μ :

Specific biomass growth rate

μ max :

Maximum specific biomass growth rate

ABR:

Anaerobic baffled reactors

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

DEWATS:

Decentralized wastewater treatment systems

E:

Removal efficiency

FS:

Fixed solids

HRT:

Hydraulic retention times

k 1 :

First-order rate constant

k 2(s) :

Second-order substrate removal constant

K B :

Saturation constant

k d :

Endogenous decay coefficient

K s :

Half-velocity constant

k sg :

Van der Meer and Heertjes kinetics constant

M:

Specific methane production rate

M B :

Ratio constant of biogas production

M max :

Maximum specific biogas production rate

OLR:

Organic loading rate

PA/TA ratio:

Ratio between partial and total alkalinity

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

S:

Effluent substrate concentration

So:

Influent substrate concentration

SVI:

Sludge volume index

TS:

Total solids

UASB:

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket

U max :

Maximum substrate utilization rate constant

USEPA:

Environmental Protection Agency of United States

V:

Volume reactor

VFA:

Volatile fatty acids

VS:

Volatile solids

X:

Reactor biomass concentration

Xe:

Effluent biomass concentration

Xo:

Influent biomass concentration

Y:

Synthesis yield coefficient

β:

Growth parameter of the Contois model

θ:

Hydraulic retention time

θc :

Solids retention time

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to Dr. Morgan-Sagastume, Margarita Cisneros, Jesús Ortega, and Andrea Rodríguez for their assistance in experimental work and data analysis. The first author thanks the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT) for a doctoral scholarship.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo Xalpa # 180. Col. Reynosa Tamaulipas, Azcapotzalco, 02200, CDMX, México

    Ángel Luis Santiago-Díaz, Violeta Mugica-Álvarez & Mónica Liliana Salazar-Peláez

  2. Departamento de Energía, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo Xalpa # 180. Col. Reynosa Tamaulipas, Azcapotzalco, 02200, CDMX, México

    Mabel Vaca-Mier

  3. Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Escolar s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, CDMX, México

    Daniel de los Cobos-Vasconcelos

Authors
  1. Ángel Luis Santiago-Díaz
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  2. Violeta Mugica-Álvarez
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  3. Daniel de los Cobos-Vasconcelos
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  4. Mabel Vaca-Mier
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  5. Mónica Liliana Salazar-Peláez
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Contributions

MLSP and VMA did the conceptualization and were the major contributors in writing the manuscript; ALSD collected and analyzed the UASB-septic tank data; MLSP also performed the mathematical modeling to obtain the kinetics parameters and analyzed the UASB-septic tank data; MVM and DCV validated and analyzed the UASB-septic tank data, and contributed in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mónica Liliana Salazar-Peláez.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Santiago-Díaz, Á.L., Mugica-Álvarez, V., de los Cobos-Vasconcelos, D. et al. Performance evaluation and kinetic modeling of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket septic tank for domestic wastewater treatment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 67414–67428 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15141-5

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