Bueno Beatriz Egerland, Garcia Rea Victor S, Saia Flávia Talarico, Gregoracci Gustavo Bueno, Dacanal Gustavo, van Lier J B, Zaiat Marcelo
Biological Processes Laboratory, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, São Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Sanitary Engineering section, Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024 Nov 8;12:1489807. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1489807. eCollection 2024.
Vinasse is a by-product of sugarcane processing which is often used in fertigation; however, the direct use of vinasse harms the environment and reduces soil productivity due to its physicochemical properties. Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an alternative to mitigate part of the negative effects. Anaerobic high-rate reactors, which mainly rely on sludge granulation, are mostly used in AD of vinasse wastewater. However, the composition of vinasse such as high concentration of solids and organic matter, high salinity, low pH, and high concentrations of sulfate, affect granule formation, leading to sludge washout. Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) present an alternative for vinasse treatment, eliminating the need for sludge granulation and producing a nutrient-rich effluent with minimal residual organics and no suspended solids. Research on sugarcane vinasse treatment using AnMBRs is limited. Most studies have employed submerged internal membrane modules, highlighting the need for further research with different reactor configurations to enhance process performance. In this study, an AnMBR equipped with an external inside-out crossflow ultrafiltration membrane was compared to an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for the treatment of sugarcane vinasse. At a volumetric organic loading rate of up to 6 g COD. L.d, the UASB reactor reached 75% ± 7% of COD removal efficiency whereas the AnMBR generated a solids-free effluent and reached 88% ± 2% of COD removal efficiency. Microorganisms such as , -DMER64, and were found as the most abundant. The results highlight the AnMBR potential as an effective alternative for treating sugarcane vinasse while overcoming the challenges posed by unsatisfactory sludge granulation.
酒糟是甘蔗加工的副产品，常用于施肥灌溉；然而，由于其物理化学性质，直接使用酒糟会对环境造成危害并降低土壤生产力。厌氧消化（AD）提供了一种减轻部分负面影响的替代方法。主要依靠污泥颗粒化的厌氧高速反应器大多用于酒糟废水的厌氧消化。然而，酒糟的成分，如高浓度的固体和有机物、高盐度、低pH值以及高浓度的硫酸盐，会影响颗粒的形成，导致污泥流失。厌氧膜生物反应器（AnMBR）为酒糟处理提供了另一种选择，无需污泥颗粒化，可产生营养丰富的出水，残留有机物极少且无悬浮固体。关于使用AnMBR处理甘蔗酒糟的研究有限。大多数研究采用了浸没式内部膜组件，这凸显了需要对不同反应器配置进行进一步研究以提高工艺性能。在本研究中，将配备外部由内向外错流超滤膜的AnMBR与上流式厌氧污泥床（UASB）反应器用于处理甘蔗酒糟进行了比较。在容积有机负荷率高达6 g COD·L⁻¹·d时，UASB反应器的COD去除效率达到75%±7%，而AnMBR产生了无固体的出水，COD去除效率达到88%±2%。发现诸如 、-DMER64和 等微生物最为丰富。结果突出了AnMBR作为处理甘蔗酒糟的有效替代方法的潜力，同时克服了污泥颗粒化不理想带来的挑战。
