A laboratory-scale anaerobic UASB reactor equipped with the bioelectrodes is established for the enhancement of anaerobic p-chloronitrobenzene (p-ClNB) reductive degradation via the micro-electrolysis. Results showed that a stable COD removal efficiency greater than 99% and a high p-ClNB transformation rate of 0.328 h-1 were achieved in the coupled bioelectrode-UASB system operated with influent COD and p-ClNB loading rates of 2.1-4.2 kgCOD·m-3·d-1 and 60 g·m-3·d-1, respectively. The bioelectrodes installed in the UASB reactor were applied with a voltage of 2.5-5.0 V and the effective current was at above 2 mA, which resulted in a continuous supply of hydrogen. Compared with the UASB reactor (R1), the production of H2 was promoted in the bioelectrode and anaerobic sludge coupled system (R2), and H2 was simultaneously consumed as the internal electron donor for p-ClNB reductive transformation. Furthermore, the biocathode cyclic voltammetry curve (CV) results demonstrated a positive shift in reductive peak potential and a dramatic increase in reductive peak current, which demonstrated the catalytic reduction of p-ClNB by the biocathodes.

Enhanced reductive degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene in a coupled bioelectrode-UASB system

249th National Meeting (2015)

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