Advances in biofilm aerobic reactors ensuring effective biofilm activity control

Abstract

Increasing volumes of wastewaters combined with limited space availability and progressively tightening standards and quality control, promote the development of new intensive biotechnologies for water treatment. Fixed biomass processes offer several advantages compared with conventional biological treatments, respectively, higher volumetric load, increased process stability and compactness of the reactors. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the principal characteristics of advanced aerobic biofilm processes (performance, reactor configurations, scale-up, energy consumption, field of application, etc.), completed by a synthesis of their advantages and disadvantages. Emphasis is placed on the factors and techniques ensuring effective control of biofilm thickness and better mass transfer. For better understanding of biofilm processes, a new bioreactor classification is proposed as a function of the state of the biomass, the state of the medium and the hydrodynamic conditions. The control of the biofilm thickness is recognized as one of the most important parameters influencing process performance and efficiency. It is concluded that three-phase bioreactors ensure enhanced biological reaction rates through an effective biofilm control. However, further studies are needed to develop new economically attractive full scale mobile bed bioreactors.