Anaerobic Filters

An anaerobic filter (AF) is used for treating wastewater. They are efficient wastewater treatment system that produces less solid. Anaerobic filters are also sometimes called as anaerobic digester. If these reactors are combined with UASB reactors, then they are known as hybrid reactors.

 

Anaerobic filters are suitable for those wastewater that contains low content of suspended solids for instance in septic tanks after primary treatment and narrow cod/bod ratio. The bacteria in the filter are immobile and generally fix themselves to solid particles or to the reactor walls. Filter materials like rocks, cinder, plastic, or gravel provide additional surface area for bacteria to settle. The larger surface area for the bacterial growth helps in the quick digestion of the wastes. A good filter material provides a surface area of 90 to 300 meter square per meter cube reactor volume. Biological oxygen demand up to 70% to 90% is removed in a well operated anaerobic filter.

 

What is the Mechanism?
Anaerobic filters are reactors consisting of supporting material layer. On the surface of these material layers or bed fixation of microorganism and the development of biofilm takes place. Anaerobic filters can be applied not only for treating concentrated wastewater but also for those wastewaters that have low organic load. However, they function efficiently for diluted sewage. In case of concentrated sewage, the risks of blockage of the filter material increase with the concentration of suspended solids. Though due to this fact they can be used as main unit for treating wastewater. However, they are better suited for post-treatment. If they are preceded by a reactor that retains settled solids, they will work better.

 

Saturated and Unsaturated Anaerobic Filter
Saturated and unsaturated Anaerobic filters though have many thing in common yet they have functional differences. In saturated anaerobic filter, Sludge retained in between the particles of the supporting material in the saturated ascending or descending-flow filters and make flakes and even floculate that plays an important role for removing dissolved portion of the organic matter of the sewage. Due to this reason in this model the biofilm does not play important role. In the unsaturated descending flow filters, the biofilm attached to the supporting materials generates the microorganisms that actively involves themselves in biodegradation.

 

Components of Anaerobic Filters
Anaerobic filter has following components:

Solid Separation Chamber
In this chamber solids that can be settled and the scum are separated. From here the wastewater entered to the anaerobic filter chamber. The capacity of chamber depend upon the amount work to be accomplished.
Anaerobic Filter Chamber
This chamber use anaerobic bacteria for anaerobic treatment. The quantity of bacteria is increased to increase the quantity of bacteria for organic degradation.

 

Applications
Anaerobic filter can be used in various industries for treating effluents. Following are the industries in which they are popularly used:

Tags:- Anaerobic Digester, Anaerobic Digester Suppliers, Anaerobic Filters For Wastewater Treatment

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