Effect of pH and hydraulic retention time on volatile fatty acids production from real waste in dark fermentation process

Waste-derived volatile fatty acids (VFAs) is an important carbon substrate for microorganisms engaged in the production of bioenergy, biodegradable plastics, and biological nutrient removal process. In this project, the generation and applications of waste-derived VFA were examined. Three solid wastes were used Primary sludge (PS), thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) which were collected from Ashbridges Bay and source separated organics (SSO) that was collected from Disco Road facility. All the water quality analyses such as pH, TCOD, SCOD, TVFA, TSS, VSS, NH3 and, alkalinity were monitored. The results of this study showed that with increasing the Hydraulic retention time (HRT), the percentage of acidification increased. Furthermore, the results showed that alkaline pH was better than the acid pHs. Keywords: Total Volatile Fatty Acids, Soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand, Primary Sludge, Thickened Waste Activated Sludge, Source Separated Organics.