Biodegradabilidade aeróbia do efluente da produção de ácido caproico

Abstract

The production of caproic acid from synthetic substrates, ethanol and acetic acid, generates a potentially polluting effluent, until nowadays, little studied. The release of these effluent without proper treatment can compromise the ecological balance of the ecosystem and prejudice the quality of the receiving water body. Thus, it is necessary to apply an effective treatment to remove the organic matter. Aerobic biological treatment can remove undesirable substances or make them into acceptable final products suitable for effluent discharges into water bodies. The purpose of this research was to define the best proportion of effluent (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) for the removal of organic matter, considering the technical viability. For this happen, an intermittent flow system composed of eight amber glass reactors, four air compressors, with two exits each, and eight hoses for continuous aeration of the reactors, with hydraulic holding time of five days, was set up. The highest removal (99%) was obtained in the reactor with 100% effluent. Thus, there are indications that the proposed system is suitable for aerobic removal of organic matter from the caproic acid production effluent by biological processes.