• Ramya R
• Kayalvizhi N
• Gnanakumar S
• Asha B

A laboratory-scale two-stage anaerobic bioreactor was operated at mesophilic temperature for treating pharmaceutical wastewater. The two-stage anaerobic bioreactor has innate advantages of selected process controls on the growth of microorganisms independently in acidogenic and methanogenic phases. A laboratory scale experimental model was fabricated with a total working volume of 36.92l capacity. The acidogenic reactor have an effective volume of 6.15l of an acidogenic reactor and 30.77l of the methanogenic reactor was used to treat pharmaceutical wastewater. The start-up stage of the process was began by continuous feeding of the reactor with an initial influent COD concentration of 890 mg/l with a HRT of 24 h with an organic loading rate of 0.520 Kg COD/m3/day in acidogenic reactor and 0.418 kg COD/m3/day in methanogenic reactor. This work was performed to emphasis an in depth understanding of a two stage reactor start up process inoculated with digested slurry from the treatment unit of Annamalai University. The reactor achieved at steady state conditions during the period of 18th to 21st day with a COD removal efficiency of 92% in the overall reactor performance. The acidogenic reactor was accomplished with suspended growth process and in the case of methanogenic reactor was with attached growth process.

Acetogenesis, Hydraulic loading rate, Methanogenesis, Pharmaceutical wastewater Organic loading rate.

"Acclimitation process operation of the two stage anaerobic bioreactor for treating pharmaceutical wastewater", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.624-635, May-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905I93.pdf

"Acclimitation process operation of the two stage anaerobic bioreactor for treating pharmaceutical wastewater", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp624-635, May-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905I93.pdf