Removal of selected organic pollutants in anaerobic wastewater treatment process

Aromatic compounds belong to one of most widely distributed classes of organic substances used in industry, services and households and, therefore they are relatively often measured in municipal wastewater. Their efficient biological degradation is essential to reduce the subsequent disposal of such substances into the waters of the receiver, or release into the atmosphere. The mineralization of organic compounds by facultative or obligate anaerobic bacteria can have importance for next state of treatment, because most of organic contaminants are toxic for microorganisms of conventional activate sludge process. The aim of the study presented was assessment of the removal of specific organic contaminations BTX (benzene, toluene and xylenes) found in wastewater in municipal WWTP during anaerobic treatment process. The experiments have been performed in the laboratory anaerobic reactor of the 5 L volume. The concentrations of BTX in wastewater were in the range of 0.8 and 5.3 mg/L as the sum of the compounds. After the anaerobic treatment process the concentrations of BTX decreased on average: 45 % for benzene, 59 % for toluene, 65 % for o-xylene and 76 % for p-xylene.