Comparison between a moving bed bioreactor and a fixed bed bioreactor for biological phosphate removal and denitrification

Abstract

Moving bed bioreactors (MBBR) and fixed bed bioreactors (FBBR) were compared for biological phosphorus removal and denitrification. The sorption denitrification P-elimination (S-DN-P) process was selected for this study. Results indicated that all nutrients were removed by the FBBR process compared with the MBBR process: 19.8% (total COD), 35.5% (filtered COD), 27.6% (BOD(5)), 62.2% (acetate), 78.5% (PO(4)-P), and 54.2% (NO(3)-N) in MBBR; 49.7% (total COD), 54.0% (filtered COD), 63.2% (BOD(5)), 99.6% (acetate), 98.6% (PO(4)-P), and 75.9% (NO(3)-N) in FBBR. The phosphate uptake and NO(3)-N decomposition in the FBBR process during the denitrification phase were much higher than for the MBBR process despite being of shorter duration. Results obtained from this study are helpful in elucidating the practical implications of using MBBR and FBBR for the removal of bio-P and denitrification from wastewater.

Intensified Production of Microalgae and Removal of Nutrient Using a Microalgae Membrane Bioreactor (MMBR)

“…Valderramna et al [22] obtained 71.6 % TN removal by C. vulgaris in the treatment of industrial wastewater. Choi et al [21] found 76.8 % TN removal under fixed bed MBR operated for domestic wastewater.…”

“…Various nitrogen removal techniques were demonstrated in aquaculture systems that can either remove or convert one form of nitrogen to another [21]. The removal of TN, NO 3 -N, and NH 4 -N by MMBR was shown in Fig.…”

A review on the research status and development trend of equipment in water treatment processes of recirculating aquaculture systems

“…The study of Choi et al . () would help determine the practical significance of MBBR and FBBR removal of bio‐P and denitrification from wastewater. They indicated that the amount of all nutrients (total COD, filtered COD, BOD 5 , acetate, PO 4 ‐P, NO 3 ‐N) removed by FBBRs was higher than that removed by MBBR.…”

The aquaponic principle—It is all about coupling

“…As with any technical language, aquaponics has definitions that are domain‐specific and sometimes not very precise. For example, bioreactor and its subcategory ‘moving bed bioreactor’ 77 which provide the habitat for nitrifying bacteria are often called biofilter in aquaponic context, even though nothing is filtered out here. Rather than that, chemical compounds are altered and bacterial biomass is built up—the transformation of fish‐toxic ammonia and ammonium over nitrite to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria 12 .…”