ABSTRACT
The potential of the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) for efficient wastewater treatment was evaluated. A laboratory bench set-up, which consisted of two ABR, R1 at 37°C and R2 at ambient temperatures each comprised of 6 – compartments, was operated for 8 months, with each reactor receiving the same organic loading rate of 1.25 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) per m3 .day. 40% of the volumes of the 2nd–6th compartments of each of the two reactors were inoculated using anaerobic biomass. The reactors were operated for 45 days before determination of steady state by stability of pH. R1 showed higher performance efficiency than R2 due to the high COD removal in the 1st compartment, 54% of influent loading for R1 against 25% for R2, and low concentrations of volatile fatty acids. Thus, low treatment performance was observed at ambient temperature compared to the one observed at stable mesophilic temperature.
