Treatment of milk wastewater using up-flow anaerobic packed bed reactor

An up-flow anaerobic packed bed (UAPB) bioreactor has been designed on a laboratory-scale and used for treatment of domestic milk wastewater (MWW). The UAPB bioreactor was operated under mesophilic temperature (37-45°C) and reactor performance evaluated at various organic loading rates of MWW effluent at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 1, 2, and 3 d based on the removal of organic matter COD, BOD, SS, pH changes and biogas production. The kinetic parameters were estimated using the experimental data to develop a reactor model. Empirical relations were generated for the characteristics like COD, BOD, and SS using modeling equations. This study proved that the UAPB reactor performance is excellent for treating domestic MWW and easily biodegradable dairy wastewater influent. Hence, this system can operate at low costs, making it suited for use in the developing countries and rural areas.