Effective Foaming Control Strategies for Anaerobic Digesters

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Foaming in bioreactors and sludge tanks represents a serious problem negatively affecting the operation, environment and economy of wastewater treatment plants. Thus, foaming control is an imperative need for stable and efficient anaerobic digester operation. Although many efforts have been made to mitigate foaming issues, no effective solutions have been discovered. The most common strategy to suppress foaming is to add defoamers. However, the effectiveness of a defoamer is highly dependent on the specific anaerobic digestion system applied and a defoamer suitable for one system might not be suitable for other systems. Therefore, a comprehensive study linking digester sludge characterization, operation conditions and defoamer selection and addition strategies is necessary.In collaboration with the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission (ACRWC), Dr. Yang Liu at the University of Alberta has proposed to build a team that will develop effective foaming control strategies for anaerobic digesters that treat the sludge generated during wastewater treatment. Six anaerobic digesters, each with a different foaming treatment, will be employed to evaluate the best defoaming strategy. The defoaming strategies will be developed based on operational conditions and sludge characteristics to reduce foaming issues and ensure efficient anaerobic digestion.