Management of Atrazine Bearing Wastewater Using an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor–Adsorption System

In the present investigation, an attempt was made to develop a treatment system for the management of atrazine bearing wastewater. The system consists of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket ~UASB! reactor followed by an adsorption column using waste activated carbon as the adsorbent. The UASB reactor could remove more than 80% of organic matter and 40–50% of atrazine, irrespective of the concentration of organic matter and atrazine tried. Though low concentration of atrazine did not affect the anaerobic system, higher atrazine concentration in the range of 10–15 mg/L had a little effect on the treatment system. The adsorption column could remove atrazine from the UASB effluent effectively. Methanol could desorb the atrazine from the adsorbent. The regenerated adsorbent retained 80% of its original capacity. The regenerant can be utilized as a pesticide. DOI: 10.1061/~ASCE!1090-025X~2005!9:2~112! CE Database subject headings: Wastewater treatment; Anaerobic processes; Biodegradation; Adsorption.