Anaerobic treatment of industrial wastewaters

Abstract

Anaerobic processes are widely used for treatment of organic wastes. Fixed-film anaerobic processes are capable of handling high organic loads due to higher biomass concentration in the form of biofilms. Anaerobic biofilm reactor startup is greatly influenced by environmental, cellular and surface factors, and is often hindered by low growth rates of anaerobes and their strict environmental requirements. However, these obstacles can be overcome by applying appropriate startup strategies.