Kinetic studies of reactive azo dye decolorization in anaerobic/aerobic sequencing batch reactors.

The decolorization kinetics of Remazol Brilliant Violet 5R (RBV-5R) and Remazol Black B (RB-B) (mono- and diazo reactive dyes, respectively) was investigated in the first 9 h (anaerobic phase) of a 24-h cycle anaerobic/aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Two distinct, successive decolorization periods were observed for both dyes, apparently due to different decolorization mechanisms. The apparent first-order rate constants were much lower for the second periods. First-order kinetics were apparently followed for both periods of RBV-5R but not for the first decolorization period of RB-B, possibly due to the occurrence of mass transfer limitations.