Development of a novel process for the biological conversion of H2S and XXXX to elemental @entity599 .

@entity17122 @entity5745 @entity24591 @entity598 @entity7294 @entity599 @entity3957 @entity3287
The feasibility of anaerobic treatment of wastewater containing @entity24591 (MT), an extremely volatile and malodorous @entity599 compound, was investigated in lab-scale bioreactors. Inoculum biomass originating from full-scale anaerobic wastewater treatment facilities was used. Several sludges, tested for their ability to degrade MT, revealed the presence of organisms capable of metabolizing MT as their sole source of energy. Furthermore, batch tests were executed to gain a better understanding of the inhibition potential of MT. It was found that increasing MT concentrations affected acetotrophic organisms more dramatically than methylotrophic organisms. Continuous reactor experiments, using two lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors (R1 and R2), aimed to determine the maximal MT load and the effect of elevated @entity3287 concentrations on MT conversion. Both reactors were operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of about 7 hours, a temperature of 30 degrees C, and a pH of between 7.3 and 7.6. At the highest influent MT concentration applied, 14 mM in R1, corresponding to a volumetric loading rate of about 50 mM MT per day, 87% of the organic @entity599 was recovered as @entity3957 (12.2 mM) and the remainder as volatile organic @entity599 compounds (VOSCs). Upon decreasing the HRT to 3.5 to 4.0 h at a constant MT loading rate, the @entity3287 concentration in the reactor decreased to 8 mM and MT conversion efficiency increased to values near 100%. MT conversion was apparently inhibited by the high @entity3287 concentrations in the reactor. The specific MT degradation rate, as determined after 120 days of operation in R1, was 2.83 +/- 0.27 mmol MT g VSS(-1) day(-1). During biological desulfurization of liquid @entity7294 phases, such as with @entity5745 ( @entity5745 ), the combined removal of @entity3957 and MT is desired. In R2, the simultaneous addition of @entity17122 and MT was therefore studied and the effect of elevated @entity3287 concentrations was investigated. The addition of @entity17122 resulted in enhanced disintegration of sludge granules, causing significant washout of biomass. Additional @entity598 , added to stimulate growth of methanogenic bacteria to promote granulation, was hardly converted at the termination of the experimental period.
