In sewage treatment systems, an anaerobic filter (AF) is a form of anaerobic digester.
The digestion tank contains a filter medium where anaerobic microbial populations—organisms that live in the absence of oxygen — can establish themselves.
Such filters are commonly employed in the treatment of waste water.
These reactors are gaining in popularity versus more established aerobic waste-water treatment systems because they produce a less solid residue[1] than do other types of filter.