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Anaerobic wastewater treatment uses microorganisms to break down biodegradable materials in an oxygen-free environment. The process reduces residual organic matter and produces biogas, which can be used as an alternative energy source. It is commonly used in municipal wastewater treatment plants and is also available for individual homes and farms. The United Nations offers funding for anaerobic digestion programs in developing countries.
Anaerobic wastewater treatment uses biological agents in an oxygen-free environment to remove impurities from wastewater. After having undergone this treatment, the water can be reintroduced into the environment in complete safety. The biological agents used in the process are microorganisms that consume or break down the biodegradable materials present in the sludge, i.e. the solid part of the wastewater following their filtration from polluted water.
Anaerobic wastewater treatment is also known as anaerobic digestion due to the action of microorganisms. That is, they are essentially “digesting” the polluted parts of the water. An excellent way to reduce the amount of residual organic matter in things like wastewater and food scraps, anaerobic digestion is typically a component of any biological wastewater treatment system.
Usually the anaerobic process takes place in sealed tanks, placed both above and below the ground. During the initial stages of sludge decomposition, microorganisms, mostly bacteria, convert the waste into organic acids, ammonia, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In the final stages of anaerobic wastewater treatment, the sludge remains are converted, by a single-celled microorganism known as methanogen, into a biogas consisting of methane and carbon dioxide.
An additional benefit of anaerobic wastewater treatment is the reduction of gas emissions. The biogas that results from the anaerobic treatment of wastewater can be effectively exploited and used as an alternative energy source for cooking, lighting, heating and motor fuel. In other words, by capturing and using the methane and carbon dioxide produced by anaerobic digestion, the biogas is not released into the atmosphere.
Many in the scientific community believe that high concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide, also known as greenhouse gases, in the earth’s atmosphere contribute to the global warming process. This theory, known as the greenhouse effect, posits that these gases trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, thereby raising global temperatures. While the theory has led to some controversy, the use of biogas as an alternative to fossil fuels has some practical applications.
In developing countries, government funded programs are available to help feed individual homes and farms with the biogas produced from on-site anaerobic digestion. The United Nations also offers funding for anaerobic digestion programs in developing countries, provided there is evidence of reductions in gas emissions.
In the United States, anaerobic wastewater treatment is usually part of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. However, anaerobic digestion is also used by single-family homes in areas not connected to a municipal system and by businesses with on-site wastewater treatment plants.
