ABSTRACT
Anaerobic treatment of different kind of wastewaters using microbial reduction of Fe(III) from clay or hematite iron ore resulted in: (a) diminishing of sulfate reduction and formation of sulfide altogether with increase in removal of total organic carbon and methane production during treatment of sulfate-containing wastewater; (b) removal of phosphate from reject water of municipal wastewater treatment plants; (c) binding of long-chain fatty acids during the treatment of lipid-containing wastewaters and intensification of methane formation; and (d) anaerobic removal of the recalcitrant compounds from industrial wastewater. Combined microbial iron reduction/oxidation makes it possible to remove ammonium from food-processing wastewater, and the use of iron ore reduction improves the anaerobic digestion of organic-rich waste.
