Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is the most suitable option for the treatment of high strength organic
euents. The presence of biodegradable components in the euents coupled with the
advantages of anaerobic process over other treatment methods makes it an attractive
option. This paper reviews the suitability and the status of development of anaerobic
reactors for the digestion of selected organic euents from sugar and distillery, pulp and
paper, slaughterhouse and dairy units. In addition, modi®cations in the existing reactor
designs for improving the eciency of digestion has also been suggested. # 2000 Elsevier
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