Hydraulic retention time impact of treated recirculated leachate on the hydrolytic kinetic rate of coffee pulp in an acidogenic reactor

This study attempted to investigate the impact of HRT of treated leachate recirculation on hydrolysis solubilization rate of coffee pulp in an acidogenic reactor. Coffee pulp presents more than 70% of organic matter and around of 30% of lignin and cellulose. Five lab scale reactors of 20 litres were used. Each reactor was fed with 5 kg of fresh coffee pulp and anaerobic sludge was used as inoculate. HRT of 0.5, 1, 3 and 10 days were applied. Each experiment shows that Total, Soluble and VFA COD appear rapidly in the removed leachate. HRT have a great impact on hydrolytic rate with an optimal value of 32,000 mg.L⁻¹.d⁻¹.

Low HRT increases hydrolysis rate and in consequence reduces duration of the hydrolytic phase. Also composition and concentration of VFA are influenced by HRT. Low ones favour acetic acid production and high ones permit the production of butyric. Low HRT generates leachate more easily fermentable. Efficiency of solubilization and acidification are independent of the HRT and present average values of 78% and 65% respectively. By batch feeding solid and continuous recirculation of treated leachate, HRT and SRT could be dissociated, where solid had a very high retention without problems of load, mixing and inhibition, and liquid could be recirculated with a very high rate. Under these low HRT condition, the first reactor of a two stage anaerobic system could reduces the hydrolysis duration of organic solid waste like coffee pulp and generate an optimal leachate for the methanization process.