Abstract:
The Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been recognized as an
important wastewater treatment technology among anaerobic treatment
methods. The objective of this study was to perform literature review on the
treatment of domestic sewage using the UASB reactor as the core component
and identifying future areas of research. The merits of anaerobic and aerobic
bioreactors are highlighted and other sewage treatment technologies are
compared with UASB on the basis of performance, resource recovery potential,
and cost. The comparison supports UASB as a suitable option on the basis of
performance, green energy generation, minimal space requirement, and low
capital, operation, and maintenance costs. The main process parameters such
as temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), organic loading rate (OLR), pH,
granulation, and mixing and their effects on the performance of UASB reactor
and hydrogen production are presented for achieving optimal results. Feasible
posttreatment steps are also identified for effective discharge and/or reuse of
treated water.
