Performance evaluation of anaerobic fluidized bed reactors using brick beads and porous ceramics as support materials for treating terephthalic acid wastewater

AbstractThis study evaluated two different porous support materials (brick beads and porous ceramics) used in rapid mass-transfer anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBRs) for treating terephthalic acid wastewater. The AFBRs, denoted as R1 (containing brick beads) and R2 (containing porous ceramics), were inoculated with anaerobic sludge. Results showed that the system organic loading rate increased from 7.37 kg COD/(m3 d) to 18.52 kg COD/(m3 d) over a period of 73 d. During the steady period, R2 showed better performance than R1. The chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency and total alkalinity removal efficiency of R1 were 65–75% and 60–70%, whereas those of R2 were 75–88% and 72–84%, respectively.