Background and Aim: Formaldehyde is an organic chemical with widespread applications as a raw material in many industries. Industrial effluents with high contents of formaldehyde should be treated because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of the anaerobic sequence batch biofilm reactor (ASBBR) for formaldehyde biodegradation.
Materials and Methods: A laboratory-scale ASBBR with a total volume of 6 liters was used. The efficacy of the reactor was determined in 9 stages with organic loading rates of 0.54 to 7.09 Kg COD/m3.d.
Results: The best removal efficiency for COD and formaldehyde were 94% and 99%, respectively, with an organic loading of 0.54 KgCOD/m3.d.The lowest efficiencies were 48% and 63.1%, respectively, with an organic loading of 7.09 KgCOD/m3.d.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that ASBBR is a viable, efficient and reliable technology for treatment of industrial wastewaters containing formaldehyde.
