RESUMEN
A multi-stage microaerobic biological fluidized bed reactor was used for the pretreatment of synthetic wastewater containing high concentration of acrylic acid (AA). The effect of influent load was investigated and the intermediate products of acrylic acid degradation were analyzed. It indicated that the removal rate of AA was above 95% with effluent acrylic acid less than 150 mg x L(-1) and COD removal rate of 15%-30%, under the following conditions: hydraulic retention time of 12 h, waste water temperature of 25 degrees C, influent acrylic acid concentration of 3 000-9 000 mg x L(-1), volume load of 6.0-18.0 kg x (m3 x d)(-1). The main intermediate products of acrylic acid degradation were acetic and propionic acids. The multi-stage microaerobic biological fluidized bed reactor can transform each 1.00 mol acrylic acid into 0.22 mol acetic acid and 0.36 mol propionic acid, and achieve the pretreatment of acrylic acid wastewater at high loads.