In this study the anaerobic treatment of organic solid waste with high and low concentrations of solids was studied. The experimental system comprised of two reactors, with unitary capacity of 2,200 L, while the used substrate was composed of solid vegetable waste and sludge. One of the reactors was loaded with substrate containing 20% of total solids and the other with only 5% of total solids on weight basis. It was verified that, for the substrate containing 5% of total solids, the retention time of solids required for 80% reduction of the applied COD mass was 90 days, during which the methane gas production rate was of 0.25 Nm³ kg-1 COD Applied; whereas in the substrate containing 20% of total solids, the retention time of solids required for biostabilization of 80% of the mass of applied COD was 270 days, with a methane gas production rate of 0.1 Nm³ CH4 kg-1 COD Applied.
sewage sludge; vegetable waste; batch reactor; compartmented reactor
