86    TREATMENT OF SOFT DRINK SYRUP AND BOTTLING
WASTEWATER USING ANAEROBIC UPFLOW PACKED
BED REACTORS
Damian J. Capobianco, Graduate Student
Frederic C. Blanc, Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, investigations into the performance of hi-rate anaerobic stabilization, as applied to
industrial wastewater, has led to the development of a number of process regimes and has increased
the general understanding of the treatment mechanisms involved. Anaerobic treatment has displayed
the ability to degrade many industrial wastes readily and at substantial loading rates. In particular, the
process seems to be applicable to the soluble organic waste components originating in the food
processing industry. The process through effective, does not produce an effluent of sufficient quality
for surface discharge. However, as an industrial pretreatment device for direct discharge to sewer, the
process may show itself to be very effective and economically attractive as compared to aerobic
treatment.
The first documented attempt at hi-rate treatment was the anaerobic filter which was developed by
Young and McCarty1 in the 1960s. Since that time there have been many other reactor designs and
modifications of the original packed bed reactor. The purpose of this study was to determine the
performance of an anaerobic up-flow packed bed reactor treating wastewater originating from soft
drink manufacturing. The results of the experiment show the process to be effective in the stabilization of this type of wastewater with treatment producing greater than 90% soluble COD removal at
substantial organic loadings.
SOFT DRINK WASTEWATER ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS
Wastewater from the soft drink industry originates from syrup manufacturing and packaging,
bottling production runs, process water purification, and washdowns of equipment and conduits.
In syrup production, a sucrose or fructose sugar base is normally mixed with a flavor formulation
in a mixer. The resulting syrup is stored, packaged, or transported in plant for use in soft drink
bottling production lines. Wastewater produced in the syrup room is comparatively low in flow and
particularly high in organic content. The wastewater will result from sugar and syrup spillage associated with mixing. Packaging production line spillage, along with tank cleanouts and equipment
washdowns will produce additional high strength wastewater.
During a bottling production run, bottles will pass through some type of wash and rinse sequence
before being filled, capped, labeled, and prepared for shipping. In this phase of production, wastewater will be generated from bottle washing and rinsing, labeling, production line spillage, equipment
lubrication, and washdowns. Flows will be substantially larger than those associated with syrup
production, and strengths are likely to vary. The wastewater will contain waste soft drink, syrup,
detergents, lubricants, and perhaps caustics.
Table I displays the results of various composite samplings performed over a three year period on
the effluent of a Massachusetts syrup production and bottling facility as reported by O'Shaughnessy
and Blanc.2 The results show COD to range from 1940 to 8880 by mg/L, BOD5 to range from 960 to
6200 mg/L and TSS remaining below 40 mg/L. The high soluble strengths along with the low TSS are
well suited for anaerobic filters. Treatment reported in the literature include RO, facultative lagoons,
and RBC. The main advantages associated with anaerobic treatment over aerobic treatment for this
44th Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings, © 1990 Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118.
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