Chapter 19 - Granular and moving bed biofilm reactor-based wastewater treatment plant: an industrial perspective

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and an increase in the population have led to drastic increases in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter loads on wastewater treatment utilities. This creates the need to expand conventional treatment systems, upgrade existing ones, or replace them, with a focus on removing or recovering more of these contaminants. Biological treatment, especially biofilm, is a widely used process that efficiently removes organic matter and nutrients and benefits the environment. This chapter provides an outlook from an industrial perspective on the use of granular and biofilm-based biological treatment systems, introducing traditional and novel approaches to using such processes for wastewater treatment. Four full-scale case studies featuring the use of biofilm wastewater treatment processes are presented. Each case discusses design parameters, operational challenges, and system performance. Finally, advantages, disadvantages, and the future development potential of biofilm treatment processes are discussed.