Ammonia Effects on Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Wastewaters

양돈폐수의 혐기성 소화에 대한 암모니아의 영향

The effects of ammonia on mesophilic anaerobic digestion were investigated by operating lab-scale two-stage ASBF reactors using swine wastewaters as influent without and with ammonia removal at HRT of 1-2 days and OLR of $2.2{\sim}9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ for 250 days. The COD removal efficiency and biogas generation of two-stage ASBF reactors was decreased by increasing influent ammonia concentrations to 1,580 mg(T-N)/L with increasing OLR to $6.3kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, while those were increased by maintaining influent ammonia concentrations below 340 mg(T-N)/L by MAP precipitation with increasing OLR to $9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$. Initial inhibirion of ammonia on anaerobic processes was observed at a concentration of 760 mg(T-N)/L and the COD removal efficiency and biogas generation dropped to 1/2 at ammonia concentration ranges of 1,540~1,870 mg(T-N)/L. It is essential to remove ammonia in swine wastewaters to an initial inhibition level before anaerobic processes for the effective removal of COD.