Use of Coffee Capsules as Support Material in Upflow Anaerobic Fixed Bed Reactors

Abstract

The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactors filled with espresso coffee capsules to treat sanitary sewage. Three reactors (R1, R2 and R3) were constructed in blue PVC pipes measuring 30 cm height and 150 mm diameter and filled with coffee capsules made of aluminum and plastic. The sewage from the pre-treatment phase of the wastewater treatment plant of the Federal University of Lavras fed the system. Temperature, pH, alkalinity and volatile acids concentration, COD, TS, TVS and TSS of the influent and effluent were analyzed to evaluate the reactors HIGHLIGHTS • Reusing coffee capsules as an alternative to theirs disposal. • Low cost wastewater treatment. • Ally solutions for the treatment of liquid and solid waste. Souza, G.R.; et al.

Coffee capsule impacts and recovery techniques: A literature review

“…By modifying the environmental conditions of exposure, the assessments use real applications in a composting environment. De Souza et al 38 use coffee capsule waste to test the capacity to treat sanitary sewage through experiments conducted at a treatment plant of the Federal University of Lavras. The study demonstrates how coffee capsules can serve as support material in anaerobic reactors, providing satisfactory pollutant removal efficiencies.…”

“…Coffee capsules plastic waste can be mechanical recycled to biocomposites application• There is not significant thermal stability loss, difference melting and crystallization temperatures comparing with virgin PP de Bomfim et al36 • PP capsules showed good resistance to atmospheric agents De Souza et al38 • It is possible to use coffee capsules in anaerobic reactors for the removal of waste pollutants • This system allows to reach organic matter removal efficiencies higher than 80%• Coffee capsules have similar characteristics to commercial and research materialsHicks and Halvorsen30 • The drip filter coffee had the greatest environmental impact of all of them…”