From waste to energy: a closed-loop two-phase anaerobic digestion system for sustainable dairy wastewater management.

ABSTRACT: The treatment of dairy wastewater (DW), characterized by high organic load and lipid/protein content, remains challenging due to the energy-intensive nature of aerobic processes and instability of anaerobic methods. This study developed a self-regulating two-phase anaerobic digestion (TPAD) system integrating an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) with an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Sequential phase separation in the ABR enables microbial self-organization for staged lipid adsorption, protein denaturation, and hydrolysis-acidification, ensuring stable UASB input. Laboratory-scale operation achieved exceptional chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (97.06-99.01%). Full-scale implementations across three Chinese provinces demonstrated robust performance, with COD removal of 7

SUBMITTER: Gong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820218 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature