Biological inverse fluidized-bed reactors for the treatment of low pH- and sulfate-containing wastewaters under different COD/SO42- conditions.

The feasibility of removing sulfate using low-density polypropylene beads as carrier material in two lactate-fed sulfidogenic inverse fluidized-bed reactors was investigated. Two different COD/sulfate ratios and two different feed-sulfate concentrations were used for the operation of the reactors. During the 242 days of operation, the robustness of the system was studied by suddenly decreasing the feed pH to 3.00. A 10% fluidization degree was used since the carrier material adopted showed not to be adequate to attain a satisfactory immobilization of the biomass with higher fluidization degrees. This resulted in a failure of the process when the feed pH was intentionally decreased to 3.00 in reactor 2, operated with a COD/sulfate ratio of 4.00. On the contrary, when a slightly acidic feed solution was fed to reactor 2, a 97% sulfate reduction efficiency was obtained. In reactor 1, operated with a COD/sulfate ratio of 0.67 throughout the experiment, COD removal and sulfate reduction efficiencies reached the highest values of 75% and 35%, respectively. Higher efficiencies were not achieved also due to the accumulation of acetate and the most likely presence of microbial competition between sulfate reducers and other microorganisms.