Addition of chitosan to a CSTR enabled the operation at a higher OLR than the control by 25% at a COD rate of 26.5 kg m−3 d−1.
The CH4 production was 6.4 m3 m−3 d−1 and the CH4 yield on COD was 0.34 m3 kg−1.
Chitosan may act like an extracellular polymeric substance, assisting the methanogens to aggregate together and function as a consortium.