Uasb Treatment of Monosodium Glutamate Wastewater; Dynamic and Kinetic Behaviour of the Start-Up of the Reactor

Simple reactors were used to carry out the feasibility study of the anaerobic treatment of monosodium glutamate (MSG) waste water by granular sludge and the determination of Monod kinetic constants. Aerobic flocculent sludge was compared with the granular sludge. It took one month for a UASB reactor seeded with granular sludge to increase the space loading rate of MSG wastewater from 1. 87 kgCOD/m³. day to 18. 9 kgCOD/m³. day. The maximum influent concentration of COD ranged between 4500 to 5000 mg/L, and the removal efficiency was around 80%. Gas production and process stability was satisfied. Preliminary design parameters and some recommendations were given. Sludge bed expanding and wash–out during start–up process were observed and discussed. The application of the kinetic constants obtained from the feasibility study to the UASB start–up process indicated that the activity of the granular sludge increased substantially; they could not be used to describe the UASB process.