The effect of boron content in wastewaters on bilolgical treatment systems and treatment of boron containing wastewaters by biological systems

In order to observe the effect of boron containing wastewater on anaerobic treatment systems, performance parameters of anaerobic reactors are monitored, under different boron concentrations, at mesophilic temperatures (35ºC). In the study, two reactor setups, being batch and continuous, were tested. Reactors were given boric acid as source of boron. In batch studies, increasing concentrations of boron (0,5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 ve 100 mg B/L) were fed to reactors under constant organic loading rate, and inhibition started at 2 mg B/L. At the continuous setup, increasing concentrations of boron (0,5, 2, 5, 15 ve 50 mg B/L) were fed to upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors under constant hydraulic retention times (12 h) and three different oranic loading rates (2, 4 ve 8 g COD/L∙day). Although inhibitory effects were observed at 2 mg/L boron load, reactors were able to recover to previous performance. At 15 mg/L and higher loads of boron, reactors totally inhibited. Stover Kincannon model was applied to the collected data to determine kinetic constants Umax ve KB.