Treatment of VOCs in high strength wastes using an anaerobic expanded-bed GAC reactor

The potential of the expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) anaerobic reactor in treating a high strength waste containing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) volatile organic compounds (VOC) was studied. A total of 6 VOC, methylene chloride, chlorobenzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, toluene and tetrachloroethylene, were fed to the reactor in a high strength matrix of background solvents. The reactor effected excellent removal of all VOC (97 per cent). Chloroform, while itself removed at levels in excess of 97 per cent, inhibited the degradation of acetate and acetone, 2 of the background solvents. Without any source of chloroform in the feed, excellent COD removals were obtained in addition to near-complete removal of all the VOC. There are 38 references. (see also preceeding abstract).