Biological nitrogen removal was simulated for a Vacuum Rotating Membrane (VRM) type membrane bioreactor (MBR) operated in METU campus. In order to simulate the biological MBR plant, a dynamic model that describes the process is needed. In this thesis, the Activated Sludge Model No.1 (ASM1), which still is the most widely used model developed by the International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ), has been used to simulate the carbon oxidation, nitrification and denitrification processes occurring in the plant using AQUASIM software package. Once the model was established, sensitivities of the model parameters were analyzed. Then, parameter estimation was carried out for the optimization of the sensitive parameters. As we have several distinct data sets available two parallel modeling study was carried out for the calibration of the model. Finally, the calibrated model by different data sets was validated by using the remaining data sets. The model results were consistent with the measured data especially in terms of MLSS concentration in the system. However model results for the nitrogen removal were not extremely successful / the reason for this might be the inadequate available data on nitrification-denitrification process occurring in the system.

Biotreatment for air pollution control can generally be categorized as biofilter, bioscrubbing and biotrickling filter systems. Generally, biotreatments could be effective and more economical treatment for containment waste gas if designed and operated properly. A two stage down-flow biofilter (2.18 m in height and 0.4 m¡Ñ0.4 m in cross-sectional area) was constructed to develop a biofilter packed only with fern chips for the removal of air-borne propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA). Both stages were packed with fern chips of 0.30 m in height and 0.40 m ¡Ñ0.40 m in cross section. Fern chips could avoid the shortcomings of traditional media, such as compaction, drying, and breakdown, which lead to the performance failure of the biofilters. In addition, the fern chip medium has the following merits: (1) simplicity in composition, (2) low pressure drop for gas flow (< 20 mmH2O m-1), (3) simple in humidification, nutrient addition, pH control, and metabolite removal, (4) economical (USD$ 174 ¡V 385 m-3), and (5) low weight (wet basis around 290 kg m-3). Results indicate that with operation conditions of media moisture content controlled in the range of 50 ¡V 74%, media pH of 6.5 ¡V 8.3, EBRT (empty bed retention time) of 0.27 ¡V 0.4 min, influent PGMEA concentrations of 100 to 750 mg m-3, volumetric organic loading of < 170 g m-3 h-1, and nutrition rates of Urea-N 66.0 g m-3.day-1, KH2PO4-P 13.3 g m-3.day-1 and milk powder 1.0 g m-3 day-1, the fern-chip packed biofilter could achieve an overall PGMEA removal efficacy of around 94%. Instant milk powder or liquid milk was essential to the good and stable performance of the biofilter for PGMEA removal. An activated sludge aeration basin (20 cm i.d., 140 cm height) equipped with either a coarse air diffuser (a plastic pipe perforated with 56 orifices of 2 mm in diameter) or a fine diffuser (porous plastic type with 100-micrometer pores) was utilized to treat an air-borne hydrophobic VOC (toluene, 700 ¡V 800 mg m-3). The purposes of this study were to test the influences of both MLSS and diffuser type on the VOC removal efficiency. Results show that higher MLSS (mixed liquor suspended solids) such as 10,000 ¡V 40,000 mg L-1 in the mixed liquor did not enhance greatly the transfer and removal of the introduced toluene. Instead, activated sludge basins with a normal MLSS (e.g., 2,000 ¡V 4,000 mg L-1) in the mixed liquor and an efficient gas diffusion system with volumetric VOC transfer coefficient of around 10 ¡V 15 h-1 can be used for the removal of hydrophobic VOCs from the introduced gas. For achieving a removal of over 95% of the introduced toluene or similar hydrophobic VOCs, commercial air diffusers for aerobic biological wastewater treatment basins can be used with a submerged liquid depth of over 0.40 m over the diffusers and an aeration intensity (air flow rate/basin cross-sectional area) of lower than 5.0 m3 m-2 h-1.

M. Tech. Chemical Engineering. / Discusses the general objective of this research is to study the application of a combined advanced oxidation and adsorption process, with a view to developing a novel technique for the treatment of tea industry effluents prior to discharge into receiving water bodies. The specific objectives of the research are: a) To tailor natural zeolite physico-chemical properties in attempt to enhance its adsorptive performance ; b) To evaluate the decolourization efficiency of functionalized zeolite in tea industry effluent treatment. c) To evaluate the effect of the following operational parameters: pH, initial concentration,temperature and the sorbent mass, on the removal of colour in tea industry effluent. d) To apply adsorption and advanced oxidation independently and to combine the two into one process.

Many control systems of practical importance are multivariable. In such systems, each manipulated variable (input signal) may affect several controlled variables (output signals) causing interaction between the input/output loops. For this reason, control of multivariable systems is typically much more difficult compared to the single-input single-output case. It is therefore of great importance to quantify the degree of interaction so that proper input/output pairings that minimize the impact of the interaction can be formed. For this, dedicated interaction measures can be used. The first part of this thesis treats interaction measures. The commonly used Relative Gain Array (RGA) is compared with the Gramian-based interaction measures the Hankel Interaction Index Array (HIIA) and the Participation Matrix (PM) which consider controllability and observability to quantify the impact each input signal has on each output signal. A similar measure based on the <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathcal%20H_2" /> norm is also investigated. Further, bounds on the uncertainty of the HIIA and the PM in case of uncertain models are derived. It is also shown how the link between the PM and the Nyquist diagram can be utilized to numerically calculate such bounds. Input/output pairing strategies based on linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control are also suggested. The key idea is to design single-input single-output LQG controllers for each input/output pair and thereafter form closed-loop multivariable systems for each control configuration of interest. The performances of these are compared in terms of output variance. In the second part of the thesis, the activated sludge process, commonly found in the biological wastewater treatment step for nitrogen removal, is considered. Multivariable interactions present in this type of bioreactor are analysed with the tools discussed in the first part of the thesis. Furthermore, cost-efficient operation of the activated sludge process is investigated.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Biotechnology)-Dept. of Biotechnolgy, Durban University of Technology, 2007 xviii, 143 leaves / Activated sludge flocs are responsible for flocculation, settling and dewaterability. It is important to maintain the growth off loc-forming bacteria for efficient sludge settleability and compaction for good quality effluent. Filamentous bacteria on the other hand are believed to provide rigid support network or backbone upon which floc-forming bacteria adhere to form stable activated sludge flocs (Wilderer et al., 2002; Ramothokang et al., 2003). Filamentous bacteria can also be detrimental to the process when they outgrow floc-forming bacteria. Morphologically filamentous bacteria are at an advantage as they have higher outward growth velocity and can extend freely to bulk liquid substrate. Proliferation of filamentous bacteria causes foaming and bulking (Martins et al., 2004). Although chemical alleviation measures to circumvent bulking are present, they are symptomatic (Chang et al., 2004). Eikelboom (1975) developed the first identification keys for the classification of filamentous bacteria that is primarily based on morphological characteristics and microscopic examination. Although very useful, this type of identification has its limitations. For instance some filamentous bacteria can change morphology in response to changes in the environment and although some of them can be morphologically similar they may vary considerably in their physiology and taxonomy (Martins et al., 2004). A vast number of filamentous bacteria are still very poorly understood which could be due to the problems of cultivation due to their slow growing nature and maintenance of cultures (Rossetti et al., 2006). This limitation necessitates a molecular approach to resolve the taxonomy of filamentous bacteria as it is a culture-independent technique which is highly accurate. This project was undertaken to verify the identity of pure cultures of filamentous bacteria isolated previously through the application of molecular techniques. The 16S rDNA are conserved regions in bacterial cells and they can be extracted and specific nucleic acid fragments amplified. Denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis enabled the separation of fragments of identical length but different size and served as an indication of purity (Muyzer et al., 1993).

A detailed study has been carried out to demonstrate the importance of external and internal mass transfer on the nitrification rates in three distinct treatment processes: flocculent and granular activated sludge, and suspended carrier reactor (SCR) systems. The major emphasis was on external mass transfer, and the impact of system hydrodynamics on this mechanism. Laboratory-scale flocculent and granular sequencing batch reactors were operated for the nitrification of a synthetic wastewater. A two-stage, continuous, nitrifying SCR was operated using the same wastewater feed. Within each stage, biofilm was grown on two types of commercial carriers- the Natrix C10/10 from ANOX AB (Sweden); and the K1 carrier from Kaldnes Miljøteknologi (Norway). Biofilm carriers obtained from each of these reactors was utilised for the mass transfer investigations. The major findings, and contributions of the work to the field of biological wastewater treatment, are described in the following paragraphs. In order to complete the work, a novel experimental tool, the TOGA (Titrimetric and Off-Gas Analysis) sensor was created, which utilises off-gas mass balancing, coupled with pH titration to provide detailed measurement of biological reaction rates. An original method for off-gas mass balancing was developed, within a reactor that allowed modification of the hydrodynamic conditions using gas phase mixing independent of dissolved oxygen control within the liquid phase. This sensor has already proven to be a highly effective tool not only for the measurement of oxygen but also for carbon dioxide and various nitrogen species, and has application for numerous other compounds present in the gas phase of biological reactors (e.g. hydrogen, methane). The application of the TOGA sensor signals to the nitrification process was demonstrated, which enabled the online measurement of oxygen, ammonia, and nitrite reaction rates. The TOGA sensor development underpinned the majority of the subsequent experimental work within this thesis. Dissolved oxygen microelectrodes were also used, enabling microscale measurements to be made in conjunction with the macroscale TOGA sensor analyses. Combined with size and microbiological analyses a detailed study of mass transfer and reaction was able to be carried out on the various systems. For suspended aggregate systems (flocs and granules): A spherical particle model was developed and used to predict the potential for external mass transfer limitation in flocs and granules. The significance of this limitation was confirmed experimentally, by observing changes in reaction rate or concentration boundary layer (in the TOGA sensor or microelectrode study, respectively) upon modification of the system’s flow conditions. Despite this flow effect being small, and only observable under low bulk liquid substrate concentrations, the external mass transfer limitation was concluded to be significant for biological flocs and granules even at higher substrate concentrations. As particle size and the maximum volumetric reaction rate of the biomass increases, external mass transfer effects become increasingly significant. The work highlights the impact of mass transfer limitation on the measurement of Monod half saturation coefficients (KS) in flocs and granules. Without accounting for external or internal mass transfer limitation, KS is seriously overestimated and becomes a lumped parameter, reflecting not only the microbial response but also the mass transfer limitations observed within the system under study. To avoid confusion or generation of erroneous results, care should be taken in defining, measuring and utilising the half saturation coefficient in biological systems where the biomass is not present as individual cells or extremely small flocs. For Suspended Carrier Reactor systems: External and internal mass transfer are both concluded to be important rate limiting steps within suspended carrier reactors. The demonstration of a significant impact of fluid flow conditions on the nitrification rates highlights the impact of external mass transfer limitation within these systems. Application of a one-dimensional biofilm model to the experimental results led to the conclusion that there is little difference between the external mass transfer limitation of the two different carrier types, for carriers grown under the same environmental conditions. However, there was a significantly higher areal nitrification rate observed on the Natrix carriers compared to the Kaldnes carriers. It is the biofilm structure that is critically important in characterising the mass transfer steps. Systems operated under high nitrogen loads, producing filamentous biofilms on the carrier surface, were found to have larger external mass transfer coefficients and responses to changes in fluid flow than those carriers which were operated under nitrogen-limited conditions (producing a flatter, more gel-like biofilm). The structure of the biofilm colonising the carrier surface was far more important in defining the mass transfer coefficient than the actual carrier type used. In a remarkably similar trend to that of the external mass transfer coefficient, the biofilm morphology was again significantly more important than carrier type in determining both the magnitude and response to fluid flow of the gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient for oxygen (kLa) calculated within the laboratory TOGA sensor. These findings led to the postulation that direct gas-biofilm interfacial mass transfer mechanism is occurring within the SCR systems. This hypothesis is an alternative to the standard mechanism of gas transfer from the bubble into the liquid phase, and then into the biofilm. Understanding of interfacial transfer is likely to be important for developing the knowledge of SCR processes. Overall, both external and internal mass transfer phenomena have been demonstrated to create important rate limitations to suspended aggregate systems (flocs and granules) and biofilms grown in suspended carrier reactors. This significantly advances the conceptual understanding of these biological treatment processes.

Studies in Europe, Japan, and North America have reported that wild fish exposed to treated sewage effluents can exhibit significant physiological and reproductive abnormalities consistent with exposure to hormonally active chemicals. The main objective of this research project was to examine the estrogenic and androgenic activity in treated sewage to determine the risk associated with treated sewage discharges in Australia and New Zealand. Several bioassays, including a sheep estrogen receptor and a rainbow trout androgen receptor binding assay, were set up and validated with model compounds. The assays were then used to measure the estrogenic and androgenic activity in sewage samples from 15 municipal sewage treatment plants (STP) utilizing a variety of treatment technologies. Raw sewage samples contained high levels of both estrogenic and androgenic activity, up to 185 ng/L estradiol equivalents (EEq) and up to 9330 ng/L testosterone equivalents (TEq), respectively. Secondary treatment processes such as activated sludge had the greatest impact on removal of biological activity from the wastewater. The estrogenic and androgenic activity in final treated effluents were <1 to 4.2 ng/L EEq and <6.5 to 736 ng/L TEq, respectively. Based on lowest observable effective concentrations reported in the literature, these levels are unlikely to induce biological effects in exposed fish in the short term. To examine potential long-term effects, resident mosquitofish chronically exposed to undiluted treated sewage were sampled. Several morphological biomarkers indicative of endocrine disruption were measured and compared with mosquitofish captured at a reference site. Mosquitofish captured in a constructed wetland for tertiary treatment of secondary treated sewage exhibited morphological differences such as elongated anal fins consistent with exposure to androgenic chemicals, although this effect was not measurable in fish collected at sites further downstream or at any of the other sites. Based on these results, it is unlikely that mosquitofish populations would be significantly affected by exposure to final treated sewage. A reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method to measure the production of a female-specific protein (vitellogenin) mRNA in adult male mosquitofish was developed, and this could be used as a rapid test to detect early changes in individuals exposed to estrogenic activity.

A detailed study has been carried out to demonstrate the importance of external and internal mass transfer on the nitrification rates in three distinct treatment processes: flocculent and granular activated sludge, and suspended carrier reactor (SCR) systems. The major emphasis was on external mass transfer, and the impact of system hydrodynamics on this mechanism. Laboratory-scale flocculent and granular sequencing batch reactors were operated for the nitrification of a synthetic wastewater. A two-stage, continuous, nitrifying SCR was operated using the same wastewater feed. Within each stage, biofilm was grown on two types of commercial carriers- the Natrix C10/10 from ANOX AB (Sweden); and the K1 carrier from Kaldnes Miljøteknologi (Norway). Biofilm carriers obtained from each of these reactors was utilised for the mass transfer investigations. The major findings, and contributions of the work to the field of biological wastewater treatment, are described in the following paragraphs. In order to complete the work, a novel experimental tool, the TOGA (Titrimetric and Off-Gas Analysis) sensor was created, which utilises off-gas mass balancing, coupled with pH titration to provide detailed measurement of biological reaction rates. An original method for off-gas mass balancing was developed, within a reactor that allowed modification of the hydrodynamic conditions using gas phase mixing independent of dissolved oxygen control within the liquid phase. This sensor has already proven to be a highly effective tool not only for the measurement of oxygen but also for carbon dioxide and various nitrogen species, and has application for numerous other compounds present in the gas phase of biological reactors (e.g. hydrogen, methane). The application of the TOGA sensor signals to the nitrification process was demonstrated, which enabled the online measurement of oxygen, ammonia, and nitrite reaction rates. The TOGA sensor development underpinned the majority of the subsequent experimental work within this thesis. Dissolved oxygen microelectrodes were also used, enabling microscale measurements to be made in conjunction with the macroscale TOGA sensor analyses. Combined with size and microbiological analyses a detailed study of mass transfer and reaction was able to be carried out on the various systems. For suspended aggregate systems (flocs and granules): A spherical particle model was developed and used to predict the potential for external mass transfer limitation in flocs and granules. The significance of this limitation was confirmed experimentally, by observing changes in reaction rate or concentration boundary layer (in the TOGA sensor or microelectrode study, respectively) upon modification of the system’s flow conditions. Despite this flow effect being small, and only observable under low bulk liquid substrate concentrations, the external mass transfer limitation was concluded to be significant for biological flocs and granules even at higher substrate concentrations. As particle size and the maximum volumetric reaction rate of the biomass increases, external mass transfer effects become increasingly significant. The work highlights the impact of mass transfer limitation on the measurement of Monod half saturation coefficients (KS) in flocs and granules. Without accounting for external or internal mass transfer limitation, KS is seriously overestimated and becomes a lumped parameter, reflecting not only the microbial response but also the mass transfer limitations observed within the system under study. To avoid confusion or generation of erroneous results, care should be taken in defining, measuring and utilising the half saturation coefficient in biological systems where the biomass is not present as individual cells or extremely small flocs. For Suspended Carrier Reactor systems: External and internal mass transfer are both concluded to be important rate limiting steps within suspended carrier reactors. The demonstration of a significant impact of fluid flow conditions on the nitrification rates highlights the impact of external mass transfer limitation within these systems. Application of a one-dimensional biofilm model to the experimental results led to the conclusion that there is little difference between the external mass transfer limitation of the two different carrier types, for carriers grown under the same environmental conditions. However, there was a significantly higher areal nitrification rate observed on the Natrix carriers compared to the Kaldnes carriers. It is the biofilm structure that is critically important in characterising the mass transfer steps. Systems operated under high nitrogen loads, producing filamentous biofilms on the carrier surface, were found to have larger external mass transfer coefficients and responses to changes in fluid flow than those carriers which were operated under nitrogen-limited conditions (producing a flatter, more gel-like biofilm). The structure of the biofilm colonising the carrier surface was far more important in defining the mass transfer coefficient than the actual carrier type used. In a remarkably similar trend to that of the external mass transfer coefficient, the biofilm morphology was again significantly more important than carrier type in determining both the magnitude and response to fluid flow of the gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient for oxygen (kLa) calculated within the laboratory TOGA sensor. These findings led to the postulation that direct gas-biofilm interfacial mass transfer mechanism is occurring within the SCR systems. This hypothesis is an alternative to the standard mechanism of gas transfer from the bubble into the liquid phase, and then into the biofilm. Understanding of interfacial transfer is likely to be important for developing the knowledge of SCR processes. Overall, both external and internal mass transfer phenomena have been demonstrated to create important rate limitations to suspended aggregate systems (flocs and granules) and biofilms grown in suspended carrier reactors. This significantly advances the conceptual understanding of these biological treatment processes.

O processo de lodos ativados consiste em um tratamento biológico amplamente utilizado nas estações de tratamento, para remoção de matéria orgânica, devido à qualidade do efluente ao final do processo. Essa remoção é realizada por microrganismos que atuam neste sistema como bactérias, protozoários, metazoários e organismos filamentosos, como fungos e bactérias, formadores de flocos biológicos. Para garantir a eficiência deste processo deve haver um equilíbrio da microbiota dentro do reator aeróbio e o controle do número de filamentosos, tendo em vista que seu excesso no sistema pode causar o intumescimento do lodo (bulking) interferindo na qualidade do efluente gerado. O presente estudo teve como objetivo testar a eficiência de uma solução de 0,001% de peróxido de hidrogênio (H2O2) no controle de microrganismos filamentosos em lodos provenientes de duas indústrias, farmacêutica e alimentícia, reduzindo assim os riscos relacionados à utilização desta substância em grandes volumes. Foram realizadas análises microscópicas do lodo para avaliação quantitativa e monitoramento da atividade biológica dos reatores, essa avaliação serviu como base para a análise qualitativa a partir do índice de Madoni (1994) gerando um Índice Biótico do Lodo (IBL). Foram realizados outros testes, como IVL e teste de respiração, sendo os resultados destes testes comparados a fim de avaliar a eficiência da solução de H2O2 e sua interferência no processo. A solução de H2O2 foi eficiente em ambos os experimentos, mostrando através dos testes de TCO e TCOe não haver interferência desta solução no metabolismo da microfauna; os resultados do IBL mostraram uma boa qualidade do lodo para ambos experimentos e a partir desta análise foi observado que a elevação de temperatura, acima de 30,0C, causa interferência no sistema levando a uma redução do IBL. Os resultados de IVL não demonstraram diferença entre os valores dos reatores controle e tratado, porém a avaliação do tamanho dos flocos e filamentos mostrou que o aumento na concentração da solução de H2O2 levou a um controle na quantidade de filamentosos nos reatores tratados que reduziram em tamanho e quantidade. / The activated sludge process consists in a treatment largely used in biological treatment plants for removal of organic matter, because of the quality of the effluent at the end of the process. This removal is accomplished by microorganisms which act in this system as bacteria, protozoa, metazoan and filamentous organisms such as fungi and bacteria, forming biological flocs. To ensure efficiency of this process must be a balance of microbiota in the aerobic reactor and control the number of filaments, in order that its excess in the system may cause sludge swelling (bulking) interfering with the quality of the effluent. The present study aimed to test the efficacy of a 0.001% solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in control of filamentous microorganisms in sludge from two industries, pharmaceutical and food, thereby reducing the risks related to the use of this substance in large volumes. Analyses microscopic sludge to quantitative evaluation and monitoring of the biological activity of the reactors, this assessment was the basis for the qualitative analysis from the Madonis index (1994) generating a Sludge Biotic Index (IBL). Other tests were performed as IVL and then breath test, and the results of these tests being compared in order to evaluate the efficiency of H2O2 solution and their interference in the process. A solution of H2O2 was efficient in both experiments, showing through the TCO and TCOe tests, that this solution not be interference with the metabolism of microfauna, the IBL results showed a good quality of the sludge for both experiments and from this analysis revealed that the temperature over 30,0C, causes interference in the system leading to a reduction in the IBL. The results IVL showed no difference between the control and treated reactors, but the evaluation of the size of the flocs and filaments showed that increasing the solution concentration of H2O2 led to control the amount of filamentous treated in reactors which have reduced in size and quantity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-09Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:43:44Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santana_am_dr_jabo.pdf: 5909203 bytes, checksum: 3d660be8aee8bbcfabdb656e3b158b48 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Neste trabalho avaliou-se o desempenho de sistema de tratamento combinado anaeróbio-aeróbio constituído por dois reatores anaeróbios de fluxo ascendente com manta de lodo (UASB), em série, em escala piloto (volumes de 510 e 209 L, respectivamente) seguidos de um reator em batelada seqüencial (RBS - volume de trabalho 210 L) aeróbio, tratando águas residuárias de suinocultura com concentrações médias de sólidos suspensos totais (SST) variando de 5 a 11 g L-1 e submetidos a tempos de detenção hidráulica (TDH) de 28 e 14 h no primeiro reator (R1), 11 e 6 h no segundo reator (R2) e de 58 e 26 h no RBS. As eficiências médias de remoção de DQO total e SST variaram de 54 a 90% e de 54 a 96%, respectivamente, no conjunto de reatores UASB em dois estágios (R1+R2), com carga orgânica volumétrica (COV) de 11 a 26 g DQO (L d)-1 no R1. A produção volumétrica máxima de metano de 1,613 m3 CH4 (m3 reator d)-1 ocorreu no R1, com COV de 19 g DQO (L d)-1 e TDH de 14 h. No RBS aeróbio, como pós-tratamento do efluente gerado nos reatores UASB, as eficiências médias de remoção foram 89%, 93%, 61%, 89% e 71% para a DQO total, SST, P-total, NTK e NT, respectivamente, com COV variando de 0,4 a 3,6 g DQO (L d)-1. Assim, no sistema de tratamento combinado anaeróbio-aeróbio (R1+R2+RBS), as eficiências médias de remoção da DQO total, SST, P-total, NTK e NT atingiram valores de 96 a 99%, 96 a 99%, 77 a 85%, 76 a 97% e 68 a 89%, respectivamente, e dos micronutrientes de 77 a 98%, 94 a 99%, 83 a 97% e de 62 a 99% para Fe, Zn, Cu e Mn, respectivamente, Para os coliformes termotolerantes, as eficiências de remoção médias foram de 93,80 a 99,99%, obtendo-se valores mínimos de 2,3 x 103 NMP/100 mL. A atividade metanogênica específica do lodo dos reatores UASB foi mais elevada quando se utilizou o propionato + butirato como fonte de substrato, e quando os reatores foram operados... / In this work a combination between aerobic and anaerobic treatment systems constituted by two Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Reactor (UASB) in series, in a pilot scale (510 and 209 L volume each respectively) followed by a sequential batch reactor (SBR – 210L net volume) aerobic, treating swine residual water having from 5 to 11 g L-1 of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and under a hydraulic detention timing (HDT) of 28 and 14 hours in the first reactor (R1), 11 and 6 hours in the second reactor (R2) and 58 and 26 hours in the Sequential Batch Reactor (RBS). The COD and TSS average efficiency varied from 54 to 90% and from 54 to 96% respectively in the UASB two stages (R1 and R2), in a volumetric organic load (VOL) varying from 11 to 26g COD (L d)-1 in the R1. The maximum methane volumetric production was 1.613 m3 CH4 (m3 reactor d)-1 in the R1, having a 19g COD (L d)-1 and an HDT of 14h. Using an aerobic SBR as an effluent pretreater that was generate in the UASB reactors, it was reached an average of removing efficiency of 89%, 93%, 61%, 89% and 71% to total COD, TSS, total P, TNK and TN, respectively, COD varying from 0.4 to 3.6 g COD (L d)-1. This way, in the anaerobic-aerobic combined system (R1 + R2 + RBS) the total COD, TSS, total P, TNK and TN, average removing reached values from 96 to 99%, 96 to 99%, 77 to 85%, 76 to 97% and 68 to 89%, respectively. To Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn the average efficiency was from 77 to 98%, 94 to 99%, 83 to 97% and 62 to 99%, respectively. To the thermotolerant coliforms the removal efficiency average was from 93.80 to 99.99% reaching the lower value of 2.3 x 103 MPN/100 mL. The sludge specific methanogenic activity in the UASB reactors was more elevated when was used the propionate + butyrate as substrate in conjunction with the operation of 28 HDT, 11h and TSS affluent around 5 g L-1, reaching 0.443 and 0.206 mmol CH4 (g SV h)-1 in the reactors R1 and R2, respectively.