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Anaerobic wastewater treatment uses naturally growing bacteria to break down waste, producing methane for energy at a lower cost. Different types of anaerobic digesters are used depending on the solidity of the waste, and the type of treatment used depends on cost and methane production. The digestion process involves breaking down waste molecules into simple compounds and converting them into fatty acids, which are further degraded into methane and carbon dioxide.
Anaerobic wastewater treatment is a common wastewater treatment technique that uses naturally growing bacteria to break down waste. This is efficient in two ways. Anaerobic treatment uses less energy than other processes and also involves the production of gases such as methane which can be used for energy and can be lower in cost. The type of treatment depends on the system used, called a digester, which commonly includes indoor lagoon, full mix, and plug-flow varieties. Many other types are used for wastewater treatment depending on the percentage of solids in the waste and the desired rate of the process.
The heart of anaerobic treatment, the type of anaerobic digesters used, also depends on the solidity of the waste. Liquid waste, such as slurry from agricultural plants, is more easily treated by covered lagoon digesters. The lagoons are usually large and covered to trap the gases that form as waste breaks down. For partially liquid sewage, a full-mix digester is typically used, where the waste is mixed within an above-ground or subsurface tank. Solids remain suspended while anaerobic organisms break everything down.
Manure and other solid wastes are stored in an underground tank and broken down in a plug-flow digester. The most low-maintenance digester consists of a heated tank that stores the residual gas produced by the organisms. Wastewater treatment and municipal landfills may require one type of digester. Others can be used in agriculture, food processing and wastewater treatment. There are also various other digesters used in anaerobic treatment, such as an upflow anaerobic sludge mat, fixed film anaerobes, or variable temperature anaerobic digesters, which is typically used for low solids waste.
The type of anaerobic treatment used can depend on how much it costs to design and operate a plant and how much methane can be sold or used to produce energy. The size of the tanks plays a role, as do the types of substances it will be used to break down. The anaerobic treatment involves the pre-treatment, the treatment of the biogas and the method to eliminate or recycle the waste residues. The digestion process is a complex one in which waste molecules are broken down into simple compounds called monomers, which are converted into fatty acids. These break down into hydrogen and acetic acid in the presence of anaerobic bacteria and are then further degraded into methane and carbon dioxide.
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