EFFECT OF HRT ON PERFORMANCE OF UPFLOW ANAEROBIC SLUDGE FIXED FILM REACTOR FOR TREATING DAIRY INDUSTRY WASTEWATER

Milk and milk based products has become most essential and important role in day-to-day life of human. The raw milk undergoes various processing in dairy industries to produce other milk based products. The large quantities of water and other chemicals are required in a diary plant. The volume of water used in a diary industry varies with respect to the availability of water, processing method and type of flow. The waste water after every step of processing is discharged into either the natural water bodies or to the environment which alters the ecological balance. This study illustrates the effect of HRT on performance of lab Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Fixed Film (UASFF) reactor on treatment of Dairy Industry Waste water. The UASFF reactor was designed for an effective volume of 0.013m3 with Fujino Spirals as packing media at the top of reactor and operated under mesophilic condition. After startup period, the reactor was operated with HRTs of 30, 24, 18, 12 and 6 for the average influent COD concentrations of 8500mg/L, 10000mg/L, 11500mg/L, 13000mg/Land 14500mg/L respectively. The results showed that the maximum COD removal efficiencies and TSS removal efficiencies were in the range of 70.60–93.59% and 89.56–94.66% respectively. The minimum and maximum biogas yield of 0.32 and 0.53m3 /kg CODa were obtained at influent concentration of 8500 mg/L and 14500 mg/L respectively