ROLE OF VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS IN ACIDOGENIC AND METHANOGENIC REACTOR FOR TREATING PHARMACEUTICAL WASTEWATERN. KAYALVIZHI AND B. ASHAAbstract A laboratory scale of Bi-phasic digester with a working volume of 36.92 L was utilized to treat the actual time pharmaceutical wastewater with the bifurcation of acidogenic and methanogenic populations. The separation of acidogenic and methanogenic population in the individual reactor performed well with an effective volume of 6.15 L of acidogenic and 30.77 L of methanogenic reactor. In this study the acidogenic reactor was accomplished with suspended growth process and methanogenic reactor was utilized by attached growth process for improving the performance of the methanogenic bacteria. The reactor was operated under mesophilic conditions. The pH levels of the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors varied from 4.65 to 5.9 and 7.11 - 8.38. The maximum concentration of Volatile Fatty Acid in the acidogenic reactor was quantified as 6520 ïg/L with an influent COD of 6786 mg/L at a HRT of 12 hours with an OLR of 6.268 kg COD/m3 d and the minimum concentration was found 2128 mg/L at a HRT of 51 hours with an OLR of 3.578 kg COD/m3 d. The result from this study visualized that the generation of VFA plays an important role for the generation of acidogenic microorganism in the acidogenic reactor and conversation of CH4 and CO2 in the methanogenic reactor for treating pharmaceutical wastewater. |