Biological reduction of sulfate for wastewater containing copper

A process for the treatment of wastewater containing copper in an anaerobic sludge bed reactor has been studied. Sulfate-reducing bacteria （SRB） were cultivated in an anaerobic sludge bed reactor. When the concentrations of Cu^2＋ in influent were 85 mg/L, the reactor could be successfully operated. Under this condition the removal rates of Cu^2＋ and COD were 98.8% and 78.3%, respectively. When the retention time was 8 h, the removal rate of Cu^2＋ did alter significantly and only can reach 81.9%. When the concentrations of Cu^2＋ was less than 300 mg/L, the reactor operated successfully. When the Cu^2＋ concentration in influent was higher than 400 mg/L, the activity of the sulfate-reducing bacteria was suppressed by Cu^2＋.

Biological reduction of sulfate for wastewater containing copper