Operation of an AnMBR for winery wastewater treatment at low temperature

The growing concern in the development of new intensive and compact technologies is due to the more and more stringent regulations regarding waste disposal and the aim of reducing energy and space requirements, particularly in industrial facilities as wineries. During vintage, the high organic load of the winery wastewater favours the application of mesophilic anaerobic processes to convert the organic matter into biogas. However, when loads are low in winter season, the anaerobic digestion should be carried out at room temperature. The main goal of this work is to operate an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR)fed with synthetic winery wastewater at low temperatures (15ᵒC and 25ᵒC) evaluating its methanogenic activity and comparing it with the operation at mesophilic conditions.