Microbial consortia selection in anaerobic filters operated in different reactor configurations

Abstract

The selection and morphology of anaerobic cultures grown in anaerobic packed-bed reactors, with soft-drink wastewater serving as the primary substrate, are compared for four types of laboratory-scale reactors/flow regimes: upflow, downflow, and a pair of two-stage systems. Results were obtained from scanning electron micrographs of cultures withdrawn from sampling ports located in the top, middle, and bottom of each reactor. Samples were compared with respect to the distribution of rod-like, coccoid, and filamentous microbes.