Simultaneous organic nitrogen and sulfate removal in an anaerobic GAC fluidised bed reactor

A granular activated carbon (GAC) anaerobic fluidised bed reactor treating vinasse from an ethanol distillery of sugar beet molasses was operated for 250 days under three different organic loading rates. The reactor showed good performance in terms of organic matter removal and methane production but an anomalous behaviour in terms of unusual high concentrations of molecular nitrogen and low concentration of hydrogen sulphide in the biogas. The analysis of the different nitrogenous and sulphur compounds and the mass balances of these species in the liquid and gas phases clearly indicated an uncommon evolution of nitrogen and sulphur in the reactor. Up to 55% of the TKN and up to 80% of the sulphur disappear in the liquid phase This is the opposite to any previously reported results in the bibliography. The new postulated anaerobic process of ammonia and sulphate removal seems to follow the mechanism: SO₄⁼+2NH₄⁺ → S + N₂ + 4H₂O (ΔG° = - 47.8 kJ/mol).