Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Research Articles

Performance of a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell coupled with biofilm-based reactor for household wastewater treatment: simultaneous pollutant removal and hydrogen production.

The septic tank is the most commonly used decentralized wastewater treatment systems for household wastewater treatment in on-site applications. The removal rate of various pollutants is lower in different septic tank configurations. The integration of a microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) into septic tank or biofilm-based reactors can be a green and sustainable technology for household wastewater treatment and energy production. In this study, a 50-L septic tank was converted into a 50-L MEC coupled with biofilm-based reactor for simultaneous household wastewater treatment and hydrogen production. The biofilm-based reactor was integrated by an anaerobic packed-bed biofilm reactor (APBBR) and an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (aeMBBR). The MEC/APBBR/aeMBBR was evaluated at different organic loading rates (OLRs) by applying voltage of 0.7 and 1.0V. Result showed that the increase of OLRs from 0.2 to 0.44kg COD/m3 d did not affect organic matter removals. Nutrient and solids removal decreased with increasing OLR up to 0.44kg COD/m3 d. Global removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+), total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal ranged from 81 to 84%, 84 to 85%, 53 to 68%, 88 to 98%, 11 to 30% and 76 to 88% respectively, was obtained in this study. The current density generated in the MEC from 0 to 0.41 A/m2 contributed to an increase in hydrogen production and pollutants removal. The maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate obtained in the MEC was 0.007 L/L.d (0.072 L/d). The integration of the MEC into biofilm-based reactors applying a voltage of 1.0V generated different bioelectrochemical nitrogen and phosphorus transformations within the MEC, allowing a simultaneous denitrification-nitrification process with phosphorus removal.

Combined treatment of domestic wastewater with landfill leachate using aerobic moving bed bioreactor (AeMBBR)

In this study, the treatment of landfill leachate (LFL) and domestic wastewater using an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (AeMBBR) was investigated. AeMBBR was filled with 30 % (v:v) biocarrier material (Kaldnes K1). The effect of different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (6- 24 h) at a constant dissolved oxygen (DO) of 3.2 mg/L was investigated for system optimization. AeMBBR was successfully operated for LFL and domestic wastewater treatment corresponding to 94 %, and 78 % ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and total organic carbon (TOC) removals, respectively. Additionally, Proteobacteria (66%) have been identified as the predominant culture in the biofilm layer, which plays an important role in the co-treatment of domestic wastewater and LFL. Considering the results obtained; it was found that a significant amount of NH4-N was successfully removed.

Recent developments in moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) for the treatment of phenolic wastewater -A review

BackgroundPhenol, a toxic and carcinogenic compound found in industrial effluent, poses a severe threat to the environment and aquatic life. Conventional methods such as physio-chemical techniques have limitations in efficiency, cost, and sustainability, leading to the development of advanced hybrid approaches like the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) to treat phenols. Review methodIn this study, we aimed at an in-depth review of MBBR for the remediation of phenolic wastewater at an industrial scale. The review uses a methodology that involves a comparative analysis of various conventional methods, including activated sludge process (ASP), sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR), Fluidized Bed Biofilm Rector (FBBR), and trickling filter (TF) with MBBR, to determine their efficacy in phenol degradation. In this context, a thorough bibliometric assay of MBBR is carried out to understand the recent publication trends. The study also examines the impact of different types and shapes of bio-carriers and their filling ratios on phenol biodegradation. Significant findingThe present work demonstrates the feasibility of using an aerobic MBBR along with a Fenton-like system (advanced oxidation processes) to treat phenolic effluent LCCA is discussed for selected treatment methods for assessing the sustainability aspects. In light of recent advancements, future research endeavors should prioritize the refinement and optimization of MBBR systems to strengthen their efficiency and sustainability, thus paving the way for a greener and cleaner future.

Integrated Anaerobic–Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor and Biochar Adsorption for the Efficient Removal of Organic Matter and Nutrients from Brazilian Landfill Leachate

Landfill leachate is a complex and highly polluted wastewater that poses significant environmental challenges worldwide. This study proposes an innovative approach to addressing this challenge by developing an integrated anaerobic–aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and biochar adsorption method for the efficient removal of organic matter and nutrients from landfill leachate. The MBBR provides a suitable environment for the growth of microorganisms that can degrade organic matter and nutrients, while biochar adsorption removes any remaining pollutants that are not biodegradable. The performance of this integrated system was evaluated under different operating conditions, such as the hydraulic retention time and the organic loading rate, to optimize its efficiency and sustainability. The results showed that the integrated system achieved high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium–nitrogen (NH4-N), and total phosphorus (TP), with maximum removal rates of 98.5% (77% after the anaerobic–aerobic MBBR and 85.4% after biochar adsorption), 91.2% (87% after the anaerobic–aerobic MBBR and 95.9% after biochar adsorption), and 99.9% (92% after the anaerobic–aerobic MBBR and 91.7% after biochar adsorption), respectively. The proposed method offers a promising solution for the treatment of landfill leachate, which is a critical environmental issue worldwide. This study also highlights the importance of developing more effective and sustainable methods for treating landfill leachate, which can have significant impacts on public health and the environment.

Effects of biocarrier type and size on the performance of nitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification

Four soft polyurethane biocarriers with different sizes and a hard polypropylene biocarrier were selected to evaluate the effects of material type and size on the nitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) performance of the aerobic moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) in treating synthetic coking wastewater under different organic loading rates (OLR, 0.95, 0.65, 0.49 kg COD m−3 day−1). The attached biomass concentrations of the polyurethane biocarriers were 1.65 ± 0.15 g L−1, almost twice that of the polypropylene one (0.76 ± 0.05 g L−1), while the differences in the suspended biomass concentrations were relatively small (1.48 ± 0.18 g L−1 and 1.28 ± 0.06 g L−1, respectively). The SND efficiency of 32.43% ± 5.15% for all five MBBRs was achieved at an OLR of 0.95 kg COD m−3 d−1, which decreased to 8.48% ± 5.25% and 4.35% ± 2.99%, respectively, at lower OLRs. It was clear that OLR was an important factor affecting the SND performance. The MBBR using the smallest polyurethane biocarrier (10 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm) achieved complete nitrification at an OLR of 0.65 kg COD m−3 day−1, while the other ones achieved it at a lower OLR (0.49 kg COD m−3 day−1). The smallest polyurethane biocarrier exhibited a higher specific ammonium oxidizing rate (SAOR, 0.071 ± 0.007 g NH4+-N g−1 VSS day−1) than the other ones (0.045–0.050 g NH4+-N g−1 VSS day−1 for the larger size polyurethane ones and 0.023 ± 0.002 g NH4+-N g−1 VSS day−1 for the polypropylene one). Miseq analysis revealed that Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira were respectively the dominant AOB and NOB in all MBBRs. The polyurethane biocarriers enriched AOB and NOB in the biofilms as much as 14.6 and 9.7 times, while the polyethylene one only enriched them 3.8 and 2.2 times. Thus, the polyurethane biocarrier with smaller size was advantageous for improving nitrification capacity.

Treatment of high-strength saline bilge wastewater by four pilot-scale aerobic moving bed biofilm reactors and comparison of the microbial communities

ABSTRACT Four Pilot-scale Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBRs) were operated for the treatment of real, saline, bilge wastewater. The MBBRs were connected in pairs to create two system configurations with different filling ratios (20%, 40%) and were operated in parallel. The inflow organic loading rate (OLR) varied from 3.6 ± 0.2 to 7.8 ± 0.6 g COD L−1 d−1, salinity was >15 ppt and three hydraulic residence times (HRTs) were tested 48, 30 and 24 h. In both systems, the first-stage bioreactors (R1 and R3) eliminated the higher part of the organic load (57%–65%). The second-stage bioreactors (R2 and R4) removed an additional fraction (18%–31%) of the organic load received by the effluent of R1 and R3, respectively. The microbial communities of the influent wastewater, suspended, and attached biomass were determined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis. The evolution of the microbial communities was investigated and compared over the different operational phases. The microbial communities of the biofilm presented higher diversity and greater stability in composition over time, while the suspended biomass exhibited intense and rapid changes in the dominance of genera. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were highly present in the biofilm. The genera Celeribacter, Novispirillum, Roseovarius (class: Alphaproteobacteria) and Formosa (class: Flavobacteriia) were highly present during all operational phases. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify similarities between samples, exhibiting high relation of samples according to the series of the bioreactor (1st, 2nd).

Assessing quinoline removal performances of an aerobic continuous moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) bioaugmented with Pseudomonas citronellolis LV1

This study evaluated the bioaugmentation potential of a quinoline-degrading strain Pseudomonas citronellolis LV1 inoculation into activated sludge for treating quinoline wastewater, and results indicated the inoculation of LV1 in aerobic continuous MBBR could substantially improve the quinoline removal performance with an improved removal efficiency of 34% averagely when quinoline was used as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Additionally, efficient removal of quinoline in enhanced MBBR occurred at the influent pH of 7.0–8.0, hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24–28 h and influent quinoline concentration of 100–700 mg·L−1. High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that bioaugmentation could increase microbial diversity and shape the microbial community structure. Although the inoculant LV1 did not remain its dominance in stage III, bioaugmentation indeed induced the formation of effective microbial community, and the indigenous microbes including Flavobacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Vermamoeba, Dyadobacter and Sphingomonas might play the key role in quinoline removal. According to the PICRUSt, the enhanced genes encoding aromatic ring-cleavage enzyme, especially for N-heterocyclic ring-cleavage enzymes, could lead to the improved removal performance of quinoline in bioaugmentation stage. Moreover, the enhanced MBBR treated well actual coking wastewater, as indicated by high removal performance of quinoline, phenol and COD.

Kinetic Study for Startup of Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor in Treatment of Textile Dye Wastewater.

Due to high augmentation in population and low availability of land, the quantum of wastewater production has surged resulting in advancements in wastewater treatment systems. To cope under such stressful circumstances, moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) proves to be an upgraded treatment technology for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. The present startup study has been carried out using a laboratory-scale aerobic MBBR with working volume of 25L for textile dye wastewater treatment having AnoxKaldnes K3 media at filling percentage of 50%. In order to acclimatize the microorganisms on textile dye wastewater, the startup of the reactor was carried out using lactose as readily degradable co-substrate with textile dye wastewater in different ratios at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24h. The biofilm on the media was developed in 63days duration and the reactor attained pseudo-steady state (PSS) in 185days period. During PSS condition of the MBBR, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 92% with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration of 4224 ± 22mg/L has been achieved. The kinetic study for biodegradation of textile dye wastewater has also been carried out using the Monodgrowth kinetics. The values of bio-kinetic coefficients of yieldof heterotrophic biomass (Y) and endogenousdecay coefficient for heterotrophic biomass (Kd) recorded are 0.394 mgVSS/mgCOD.d and 0.087day-1, respectively. The values of specific substrate removal rate (k), Monodhalf saturation constant (Ks), and maximumspecific growth rate for heterotrophic biomass (µmax) are 0.024 mgCOD/mgVSS.d, 53.203mg/L, and 0.0095day-1, respectively, demonstrating the suitability and healthy performance of MBBR for textile dye wastewater treatment.

Relationship of phosphorus removal, extracellular polymeric substances characteristics, and microbial community diversity in an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor: Effect of carbon sources

The aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (AMBBR) was established to explore the effect of carbon source types (sodium acetate, sodium propionate and starch) on phosphorus removal, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composition, variation of Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and glycogen, and microbial community structure. The results showed that carbon source of sodium propionate improved the pollutant removal efficiency in the AMBBR system. The removal efficiency of COD, NH4+-N, total phosphorus (TP) and PO43- reached to 91.72 ± 2.85 %, 86.76 ± 2.02 %, 72.14 ± 1.70 % and 71.66 ± 2.60 % respectively. Sodium propionate tends to favor the stability and growth of the carrier attached biofilm. TP concentration of the tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) showed a significant positive correlation (R = 0.929 **, p = 0.01) with TB-EPS protein (PN) concentration in the carrier attached biofilm. Under sodium propionate condition, PHA and Glycogen accumulating concentration as well as the phosphorus accumulating and release amount exhibited the highest during one cycle of the AMBBR. Sodium propionate improved the growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), denitrifying bacteria (DNB), phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs). However, Pseudpmonas as a well-known denitrifying phosphorus accumulating bacteria (DNPAOs) was greatly increased under sodium acetate condition. Principal component analysis (PCA) results revealed that the abundance of Candidatus_Accumulibacter (PAOs) and Dechloromonas (DNPAOs) were strongly correlated with TB-EPS PN concentration. These results indicated that suitable carbon source type could enhance phosphorus removal by improving the growth of EPS and metabolism of microbial community.

ORGANIC REMOVAL IN DOMESTIC WASTEWATER USING ANAEROBIC TREATMENT SYSTEM-MBBR WITH FLOW RECIRCULATION RATIO AND INTERMITTENT AERATION

Aim: The modified Small-scale Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant (SDSTP) reactor with anaerobic fixed bed- aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) is implemented to find the optimum condition for organic degradation related to recirculation and intermittent aeration practices with the purpose to comply with the governmental regulation standard. Methodology and Results: This research have been done with the artificial wastewater with characteristic similar to the sewage treatment plant (STP) of Telkom company with ratio C:N:P of characterized domestic wastewater is 252.40:85.42:3.01 that consists of glucose, NH4Cl, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrite (NaNO2). Reactor design related with attached biomass in media until 2478.56 mg MLVSS.L-1 with the growth kinetics rate (μ) of 0.4691 day—1. The artificial wastewater is applied the determine the optimum variation of flow recirculation and periodic aeration in specific Hydraulics Retention Time (HRT) and Organic Loading Rate (OLR). In this research, the optimum recirculation ratio for organic degradation is 26.40 L.h-1 and the optimum aeration frequency variation is 12 hours in intermittent frequency with the maximum efficiency of organic degradation of 76.10% with the degradation efficiency real domestic wastewater application from STP Telkom company is 83.09%. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Stover-Kincannon model is the best model with highest accuracy rate to model the degradation performance of organic compounds by the anaerobic fixed bed- aerobic MBBR SDSTP with determination coefficient 0.8623 and also degradation coefficient 38.121 day-1 compared with other models studied in this research.

Improved decolorization and mineralization of azo dye in an integrated system of anaerobic bioelectrochemical modules and aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor

In this study, a stacked integrated system with anaerobic bioelectrochemical system (BES) and aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was developed to improve the decolorization and mineralization of azo dye. This stacked BES-MBBR exhibited better performance with acid orange (AO7) decolorization of 96.4 ± 0.6% and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 87.7 ± 4.4%. Contribution of each module in the BES and MBBR stages indicated that BES modules enhanced the pretreatment process in AO7 decolorization, and MBBR played an important role in further removal of COD. The mechanism analysis indicated that the azo bond was cleaved with reductive decolorization at biocathode in the anaerobic BES stages, and then the intermediate products can be further oxidized with COD removal in the aerobic MBBR stage. This work demonstrated that the integrated system with stacked anaerobic BES and aerobic MBBR could provide a promising way for the pretreatment and post-treatment of refractory wastewater.

A Comparative Study on the Microbial Communities Developed in Two Pilot-Scale Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Systems Treating High Strength Saline Bilge Wastewater

A Comparative Study on the Microbial Communities Developed in Two Pilot-Scale Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Systems Treating High Strength Saline Bilge Wastewater

Relationship of Phosphorus Removal, Extracellular Polymeric Substances Characteristics, and Microbial Community Diversity in an Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor: Effect of Carbon Sources

Relationship of Phosphorus Removal, Extracellular Polymeric Substances Characteristics, and Microbial Community Diversity in an Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor: Effect of Carbon Sources

Untapped Potential of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors with Different Biocarrier Types for Bilge Water Treatment: A Laboratory-Scale Study

Two labscale aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) systems, with a different type of biocarrier in each (K3 and Mutag BioChip), were operated in parallel for the treatment of real saline bilge water. During the operation, different stress conditions were applied in order to evaluate the performance of the systems: organic/hydraulic load shock (chemical oxygen demand (COD): 9 g L−1; hydraulic retention time (HRT): 48–72 h) and salinity shock (salinity: 40 ppt). At the same time, the microbiome in the biofilm and suspended biomass was monitored through 16S rRNA gene analysis in order to describe the changes in the microbial community. The dominant classes were Alphaproteobacteria (families Rhodospirillaceae and Rhodobacteraceae) and Bacteroidia (family Lentimicrobiaceae), being recorded at high relative abundance in all MBBRs. The structure of the biofilm was examined and visualized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Both systems exhibited competent performance, reaching up to 86% removal of COD under high organic loading conditions (COD: 9 g L−1). In the system in which K3 biocarriers were used, the attached and suspended biomass demonstrated a similar trend regarding the changes observed in the microbial communities. In the bioreactor filled with K3 biocarriers, higher concentration of biomass was observed. Biofilm developed on Mutag BioChip biocarriers presented lower biodiversity, while the few species identified in the raw wastewater were not dominant in the bioreactors. Through energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis of the biofilm, the presence of calcium carbonate was discovered, indicating that biomineralization occurred.

Characteristics of size-segregated aerosols emitted from an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor at a full-scale wastewater treatment plant

Aerosol emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been associated with health reverberation but studies about characteristics of size-segregated aerosol particulate matter (PM) are scarce. In this study, the measurement of particulate number size distribution in the range of < 10 µm, and the collection of PM10–2.5, PM2.5–1.0 and PM1.0, were conducted from an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) at a full-scale WWTP. MBBR aerosols showed a unimodal number size distribution, with the majority of particles (>94%) in the ultrafine size range (<100 nm). For toxic metal(loid)s or potential pathogens, significant differences were found within MBBR aerosols (PM10–2.5, PM2.5–1.0, and PM1.0), and also between MBBR aerosols and wastewater. Both wastewater and ambient air had important source contributions for MBBR aerosols. The compositions of toxic metal(loid)s in PM1.0, and the populations of potential bacterial or fungal pathogens in PM10–2.5 and PM2.5–1.0, were dominated by that from wastewater. Compared to PM10–2.5 and PM2.5–1.0, PM1.0 had the highest aerosolization potential for the toxic metal(loid)s of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Li, Mn, Ni, U, and Zn, and the genera of Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Fusarium. Due to the size-segregated specialty, targeted measures should be employed to reduce the health risks. CapsuleThe compositions of toxic metal(loid)s in PM1.0, and the populations of potential pathogens in PM10–2.5 and PM2.5–1.0, were dominated by that from wastewater.

A Performance Comparison of Anaerobic and an Integrated Anaerobic-Aerobic Biological Reactor System for the Effective Treatment of Textile Wastewater

The accumulation of recalcitrant azo dyes from untreated textile effluents has adversely impacted the ecosystem. The immense stability in their nature is conferred by the presence of azo bonds (N=N) in their structure. The reduction of this azo bond occurs exclusively under anaerobic conditions giving rise to colorless aromatic amines, which are carcinogenic. In the present study, a synthetic textile effluent containing mixed azo dyes such as Reactive Red, Reactive Black, and Reactive Brown, was treated using activated sludge under anaerobic conditions in a lab-scale anaerobic sequential batch reactor (An-SBR). At a concentration of 100 mg/L of mixed azo dyes, the An-SBR gave a maximum of 88% decolorization detected through UV-visible spectroscopy. Physicochemical analyses revealed 73% removal of BOD, 90% TDS removal, 69% COD removal, 4.05% TKN removal, 66% chloride removal, and 73% hardness removal. When the concentration of dyes was increased to 500 mg/L, the treatment showed a decrease in decolorization efficiency. This was then compared to a sequential anaerobic-aerobic treatment process performed in An-SBR and a laboratory-scale aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The study revealed that the sequential process held more potential for commercial application than exclusively an anaerobic process. The metabolites formed during the treatment phase were extracted and analyzed by FT-IR and HPLC and identified through GC-MS analyses and were compared to those found in the untreated effluent. A phytotoxicity test was conducted on the remainder (secondary) sludge using Vigna unguiculata, and it was found to show a 50% reduction in germination and retardation in root and shoot length.

Sustainable biological system for the removal of high strength ammoniacal nitrogen and organic pollutants in poultry waste processing industrial effluent

ABSTRACT The effluent generated from poultry waste processing industries contains several organic compounds such as collagen, gelatin, bovine serum albumin, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and so forth. This enabled the establishment of poultry waste processing industries to produce value-added products such as animal feed and organic fertilizers. During poultry waste processing, huge amounts of ammoniacal nitrogen and organic pollutants such as proteins, various carbohydrates, and fatty materials are discharged into the effluent stream which contributes to several environmental issues. Because of the shortcomings of the current conventional treatment, the present study is about with the development of a sequential bioreactor system for the effective treatment of poultry waste processing industrial effluent. Facultative anaerobe Paracoccus pantotrophus FMR19 along with the indigenous isolate Bacillus albus MN527241 obtained from clarifying sludge was used as mixed consortia for the treatment of poultry waste processing industrial effluent. The mixed microbial consortia resulted in the maximum activity of enzymes such as protease (247 U/mL) and lipase (28.266 U/mL) thereby achieving 90% of ammoniacal nitrogen reduction and 98% of COD removal within five days. Further, the confirmatory analysis of poultry effluent treatment was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and SDS-PAGE. Hence, the sequential bioreactor-based treatment approach has proved to be highly effective in removal of organic pollutants in the poultry waste processing industrial effluent.Implications: The poultry waste processing industrial (PWPI) effluent contains huge ammoniacal nitrogen and COD and affects the environment. Aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor and up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor are in current practice and shows considerable reduction in the ammoniacal nitrogen and COD in long retention time. Therefore, there is a need of sustainable treatment process that could effectively remove the organic pollutants from the effluent in short duration. Our study focused on the application of sequential bioreactor approach for the treatment of PWPI using aerobic followed by anaerobic treatment process and observed efficient organic pollutants removal in short duration.

Bioremediation kinetics of Fischer-Tropsch derived compounds

A system that represents a semi-continuous aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was used for the treatment of synthetic Fischer-Tropsch (FT) wastewater contaminated with short chain alcohols (SCAs) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The point of zero charge (PZC) of the carriers used in the MBBR system was found to occur at pH 7.9. The aerobic system for the treatment of FT synthetic wastewater was found to be efficient, and it reduced the chemical oxygen demand (COD) by up to 93.4% at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 days. The organic loading rate was kept constant at COD 67.9 g/L. Biodegradation kinetics revealed that 71% of the COD was removed within 9 hours. In addition, the biodegradation of SCAs and VFAs correlated well with the first order kinetic model and an R2 value of 0.94 and a rate constant of 0.137 h-1 were achieved. The half-life time of the SCAs and VFAs was found to be 5.07 h. Given the stubborn nature of compounds found in the FT wastewater, results emanating from this study augurs well for the biodegradation and treatment of FT wastewaters contaminated with organic compounds.

Performance of Combined A/O Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactors for Biological Nutrients Removal from Domestic Wastewater under Different Gas/Water Ratios

In this experimental research, the continuous-upflow lab-scale combined A/O Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBRs), with 50% A/O volume ratio and 100% internal NO3− recycling ratio, were constructed to treat 60 L/day of domestic wastewater in Basra Province (Southern Iraq) under full nitrification-denitrification processes. The A/O treatment system consists of Plexiglas square anoxic reactor with effective volume (15 litters), Plexiglas square aerobic reactor with effective volume (30 litters), and 250-litter Plexiglas square primary and final settling tanks. Cylindrical K1 plastic Kaldnes carriers with density of 0.93 g/cm3 were added to both reactors with 60% filling ratio to achieve the process of biofilm attaching. The A/O treatment system was operated under the batch mode for four weeks for development of biofilm; then the system was operated in continuous-upflow mode with total hydraulic retention time (HRT) equal to 18 hours and five different gas : water ratios (5 : 1,7 : 1,10 : 1,15 : 1, and 20 : 1) in order to investigate the effect of gas : water ratio on the total performance of A/O system. The study results illustrated that gas : water ratio has no effect on the removing of NH4+-N and COD, while it significantly affects the removing of TP and TN. The optimum value of gas : water ratio is 7 : 1, with the average value of removal efficiency (R%) of TP, TN, NH4+-N, and COD being 84.49%, 78.67%, 97.27%, and 95.56%, respectively. Under this value of gas : water ratio, the average values of dissolved oxygen (DO) in both aerobic MBBR and anoxic MBBR are 3.96 mg/L and 0.181 mg/L, respectively.

Removal of polar micropollutants from domestic wastewater using a methanogenic – aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor system

A lab-scale system consisting of a methanogenic and an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was operated for seven months to investigate major pollutants’ and polar organic micropollutants’ removal from domestic wastewater under three different organic loading rates (OLRs). For all OLR values tested, the system achieved efficient COD (>84%) and NH4-N removal (>96%); both reactors contributed to the decrease of organic loading, while the aerobic bioreactor was exclusively responsible for the removal of ammonium nitrogen. The increase of OLR from 0.20 ± 0.10 to 2.10 ± 0.20 kg COD m−3 d−1 resulted to increase of the detected volatile fatty acids in the anaerobic reactor and increase of the produced biogas to 172.7 ± 25.3 mL L reactor−1 d−1. All target micropollutants were partially removed during different experimental phases; their removal ranged between 31% (5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, 5TTR) and 97% (2-hydroxybenzothiazole, OH-BTH). Except benzotriazole (BTR) and OH-BTH, both reactors contributed significantly to the removal of target micropollutants, while the addition of extra aerobic MBBR as a final polishing step enhanced only OH-BTH removal. Use of experimental and literature data showed that the increase of organic loading enhanced the removal of three out of five target micropollutants, while the key factor responsible for this effect was COD concentration in influent wastewater. The modelling of micropollutants’ removal efficiency using biodegradation kinetics calculated in batch experiments showed satisfactory correlation between predicted and measured values for most target compounds.