The Anaerobic Process in Used Water Purification and Sludge Treatment, Basics

The anaerobic process is a treatment step in which organic matter is broken down into simpler components under anaerobic conditions. The process begins with hydrolysis, followed by acidogenesis and acetogenesis. Methanogenesis is the final step in anaerobic degradation and marks the point at which the final products, CH4 and CO2, leave the process in gaseous form. Each of these steps is carried out by different groups of bacteria. Moreover, there is a symbiotic relationship between methanogenic and acetogenic bacteria, which means that both bacteria types only survive in teamwork. The whole process is an effective method of converting unstable organic matter into a more stabilized form and also results in a considerable reduction of solid matter. The nature of organic matter, pH, temperature, nutrients, and the presence of toxic compounds constitute environmental factors that influence the biological reactions. Anaerobic processes can not only be employed to treat highly loaded used water, but also solid materials such are sewage sludge, organic farm waste, municipal solid waste, green/botanical waste, organic industrial and commercial waste, etc. Anaerobic digesters are usually used to treat solid materials, whereas UASB reactors are utilized for treating used water.