Artículo de publicación ISIThis paper reviews the most relevant uses and applications of zeolites in anaerobic digestion processes. The feasibility of using natural zeolites as support media for the immobilization of microorganisms in different high-rate reactor configurations (fixed bed, fluidized bed, etc.) is also reviewed. Zeolite, with its favorable characteristics for microorganism adhesion, has also been widely used as an ion exchanger for the removal of ammonium in anaerobic digestion due to the presence of Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations in its crystalline structure. This property is also useful for improving the anaerobic process performances in the treatment of wastewaters with high concentrations of nitrogen compounds, such as cattle, pig and chicken wastes, as it prevents process inhibition. The influence of zeolite particle size and doses in batch mesophilic and thermophilic processes when referring to synthetic or different wastewaters is also reviewed. Finally, the role of zeolite in granulation processes, in anaerobic oxidation processes (Anammox) for promoting the retention of the biomass involved (given its low growth rate), and in hybrid and sequencing reactors such as the moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) are also discussed

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The effect of natural and modified zeolites on the anaerobic degradation of acetate and methanol was evaluated by the determination of specific methane productivity (SMP) in batch minidigesters of 50 mL at doses of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 g of zeolite/g of VSS. The effects of the different zeolite concentrations were determined by the results of the SMP. A kinetic characterization with data of accumulated methane gas volume was also carried out. In the second phase of the study, the effects of natural and nickel zeolite concentrations were tested with piggery waste in laboratory scale digesters of 2.5 L operating at semi continuous mode, by increasing the organic load applied from 0.2 to 22.0 g TCOD/d corresponding to organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.1-8.8 g TCOD/l x d. A greater effect of modified zeolite on SMP was observed, with an increase of 8.5 times with magnesium zeolite, 4.4 times with cobalt zeolite and 2.8 times with nickel zeolite. Two phases were defined in the kinetic study and an increase of more than 2 times the apparent constant of digesters with modified zeolites was observed in the second phase when compared to unmodified natural zeolite. Modified natural zeolite addition to digesters can allow an increase in the potential biodegradability of piggery waste solid fraction and/or a considerable reduction of digestion volume.

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