Effect of formic acid inflow on microbial properties of the anaerobic granular sludge in a UASB reactor

Abstract

Abstract In the production of natural rubber, formate or acetate is added to the latex solution to coagulate the rubber; therefore, the wastewater contains high concentrations of organic acids, requiring the application of anaerobic treatment technology. In this study, a two-phase continuous flow experiment using a laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) was conducted to investigate the influence of formate inflow on the microbial and physical characteristics of the retained granular sludge. In phase 1, acetate-based wastewater was used as feed, while in phase 2, formate-based wastewater was used as feed. In phase 1, the UASB exhibited high COD removal efficiency (97.2%); in addition, the retained sludge showed increased methane production from acetate and proliferation of acetate-utilizing Methanosaeta species. In phase 2, the UASB performed as well as phase 1, with 98.2% COD removal efficiency. Microbial community structure analysis confirmed that relatives of Methanobacterium formicicum present in the retained sludge were responsible for the degradation of formate in phase 2. However, decreased diameter and slight deterioration of granular sludge settleability were observed. In conclusion, formate inflow has low risk of interference with the process performance of the UASB, but it has negative effects on the physical properties of the granular sludge.