The pharmaceutical industrial effluents, which include several organic solvents and other toxic chemicals, are generally treated by aerobic process, which is cost intensive in nature. The alternative anaerobic route to degrade the toxic effluents is attractive due to the lower cost of treatment and the generation of gas, which can supplement the energy requirements. There are few reports on the anaerobic treatment of the pharmaceutical effluents. In the present investigation, the effluents from a bulk drug industry, which utilizes several organic chemicals, have been taken to assess their applicability for anaerobic treatment. The organic loading rates were varied from 0.25 kg/m3/day to 2.5 kg/m3/day and the COD reduction was found to be in the range of 60 to 80%. Long term operation of an anaerobic suspended film contact reactor carried out with 1.25 kg/m3/day was found to be optimum. The biogas generated during the degradation process was monitored and the methane content was found to be 60–70%.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
January 01 2001
Biotreatability studies of pharmaceutical wastewater using an anaerobic suspended film contact reactor Available to Purchase
S. Venkata Mohan;
S. Venkata Mohan
1Biochemical and Environmental Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Search for other works by this author on:
R. S. Prakasham;
R. S. Prakasham
1Biochemical and Environmental Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Search for other works by this author on:
B. Satyavathi;
B. Satyavathi
1Biochemical and Environmental Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Annapurna;
J. Annapurna
1Biochemical and Environmental Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Search for other works by this author on:
S. V. Ramakrishna
S. V. Ramakrishna
1Biochemical and Environmental Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Sci Technol (2001) 43 (2): 271–276.
Citation
S. Venkata Mohan, R. S. Prakasham, B. Satyavathi, J. Annapurna, S. V. Ramakrishna; Biotreatability studies of pharmaceutical wastewater using an anaerobic suspended film contact reactor. Water Sci Technol 1 January 2001; 43 (2): 271–276. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0099
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
eBook
Pay-Per-View Access
$38.00