Journal of Environmental Biology

Anaerobic degradation of coconut husk leachate using UASB-reactor

C. Neena, P.S. Ambily and M.S. Jisha*

*jishashanavas@yahoo.com

School of Bio-sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam-686 560, India

(Received: July 01, 2005 ; Revised received: July 15, 2006 ; Accepted: August 02, 2006)

Abstract: Retting of coconut husk, the major process in quality coir fibre extraction, causes serious pollution with brackish water lagoons of Kerala. An attempt is made to treat the coconut husk leachate by using a laboratory scale UASB-reactor. The experiment was conducted with loading of leachate from 1 kg of fresh coconut husk. The anaerobic treatment was done continuously. The parameters like VFA, pH, COD and polyphenols were analysed regularly during the evaluation of the reactor performance. The polyphenol, VFA and COD were diminished gradually with time. The pH of the reactor during the study was found to be in the range of 6-8. The biogas production was increased with loading and about 82% of the total COD/kg husk could be converted to biogas. The maximum polyphenol loading in the reactor was reached to about 298.51 mg/l of husk.

Key words: UASB-reactor, Anaerobic treatment, Coconut husk, Polyphenol, COD

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