xiv 1. INTRODUÇÃO 1 2. OBJETIVO 3 3. REVISÃO BIBLIOGRÁFICA 4 3.1. Reator Anaeróbio em Batelada Seqüencial (ASBR) 4 3.2. Estudos Realizados com o ASBR Utilizando Glicose ou Sacarose como Substrato 7 3.3. Biomassa Imobilizada em Espuma de Poliuretano 9 horas de ciclo nas concentrações, aproximadas, de 500 e 1000 mg/L. Esta fase teve como objetivo verificar a hipótese, segundo a qual, a produção de EPS seria resultado da exposição da biomassa a baixas concentrações de matéria orgânica por longo período. Dessa forma, reduzindo o tempo de ciclo, a exposição a baixas concentrações também seria reduzida. No entanto, embora o reator tenha operado com relativa estabilidade, verificou-se formação de grande quantidade de EPS logo na primeira condição operacional, com aproximadamente, 500 mg/L de glicose no afluente, indicando que a hipótese não estava correta. Palavras-chave: tratamento de águas residuárias, reator operado em batelada seqüencial, ASBBR, polímeros extracelulares, EPS, glicose, espuma de poliuretano.xiv ABSTRACT MIQUELETO, A.P. (2003). The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor when subjected to a progressive increasing of the influent glucose concentration and estimate the kinetic parameters of glucose's degradation. Initially the reactor was operated with 8-hour cycles, treating glucose at concentrations of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L. Glucose was not detected in the effluent in all these three conditions. The reactor showed operating stability treating glucose concentration of approximately 500mg/L, with efficiencies between 93% to 97% in the filtrated COD removal. In the operation with glucose concentrations of 1000mg/L and 2000mg/L, approximately, it could be noticed an operational instability, caused mainly by a production of extracellular polymers (EPS) leading to hydrodynamic and mass transfer problems in the reactor. The mean values of volatile acids concentration in the effluent were about 159 ± 72mg/L and 374 ± 92mg/L, respectively. A first order model was adjusted to glucose concentration profiles, and a modified model, including a residual concentration of substrate, was adjusted to COD temporal profiles. To verify the EPS formation, the reactor was operated with 3-hour cycle in the concentrations of 500 and 1000mg/L This stage had the objective of verifying if the EPS production would result from the exposure of the biomass to low concentration of substrate for a long period of time. Thus, reducing the time cycle, the exposure to low concentrations would also be reduced. Nevertheless, even with the reactor operating with relative stability, the hypotheses could not be verified due the formation of a large amounts of EPS right in the first operational condition with approximately to 500mg/L of glucose in the influent,showing that the hypothesis was not right.