Industrial estate wastewater treatment using single up‐flow aerobic/anoxic sludge bed (UAASB) bioreactor: A kinetic evaluation study

<jats:p>In this study, performance and kinetic analysis of carbon and nutrients removal in an up‐flow aerobic/anoxic sludge bed (UAASB) bioreactor for the treatment of an industrial estate wastewater was investigated. The performance of the reactor was evaluated as a function of two variables, including hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4, 8, and 12 h and aeration time of 40 and 60 min/h. To obtain the kinetic coefficients, mass balance, first‐order, second‐order, and Stover–Kincannon models were employed. From the mass balance model, growth yield (Y), microbial decay rate (K<jats:sub>d</jats:sub>), were found to be 0.161 g volatile suspended solid (VSS)/g chemical oxygen demand (COD), 0.039 1/d, respectively, whereas for first‐order model (K<jats:sub>1</jats:sub>) was 4.56 1/d. The constant values for Stover‐Kincannon model were obtained as half‐velocity constant (K<jats:sub><jats:italic>B</jats:italic></jats:sub> = 9.82 g/L) and maximum total substrate removal rate constant (U<jats:sub><jats:italic>max</jats:italic></jats:sub> = 8.47 g/L d). © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1220–1228, 2014</jats:p>