Granulation in hospital effluent treatment

The book discusses the contribution of granulation to hospital effluent treatment using the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor. The UASB reactor is a form of anaerobic digester that uses an anaerobic process to form a granular sludge blanket suspended in the tank. Wastewater flows upwards through the blanket and is treated by the anaerobic micro-organisms. The upward flow combined with the settling action of gravity suspends the blanket with flocculants. The blanket begins to mature at around 3 months. Small sludge granules begin to form their surface covered with bacterial aggregates. In the absence of any supporting matrix flow conditions create a selective environment in which only micro-organisms capable of attaching to each other survive and proliferate. Eventually aggregates form into dense compact biofilms known as granules. The technology requires constant monitoring during commissioning to ensure that the sludge veil is maintained and not washed away.