Mean removal efficiencies of 59.9% and 62.8%, with mean mass
removal rates of 44.3 g m−2 d−1 and 46.4 g m−2 d−1, were achieved
for Plots 1 and 2, respectively, in spite of the high loading rate of
72.2 g COD m−2 d−1 (Table 3). A slight decrease on the removal efficiencies
was noted during low temperatures in January (Fig. 2). The
mean COD removal rate constants were 95.0 and 104.8 m yr−1 for
Plots 1 and 2, respectively (Table 3). No significant difference on
the removal efficiency of organic matter was observed for the two
plots (p > 0.05).