Biodegradation of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate by Sequencing Batch Reactor in Sanitary Wastewater

Introduction: Detergents lead to many environmental problems. The main aim of this study was to evaluate sequencing batch reactor (SBR) efficiency on Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) removal. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, to investigate the removal efficiency of LAS, a SBR reactor was used. A roughly 12-hour operating cycle was chosen which included the discharge time (30 min), the filling time (60 min), and sedimentation (1 hr), while the remaining time was devoted to aerating. In this research 48 samples were taken and analyzed. Sampling and testing were performed according to the standard methods of water and wastewater examination. Results: The results showed that minimum and maximum removal efficiencies of LAS in SBR reactor were 92 % and 99.5 %, respectively. The average removal of COD was 92 %. It was observed that 1 mg/l used surfactants produced 2.3 ± 0.3 mg COD. Conclusion: It can be concluded that SBR reactor is capable of removing LAS to meet desirable environmental standards.