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Using a rotating biological contactor modified with a sequencing bath reactor system (SBRBC) designed and operated to remove phosphate and nitrogen, the microbial community structure of the biofilm from the SBRBC system was characterized based on the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) constituents, electron microscopy, and molecular techniques. Protein and carbohydrate were identified as the major EPS constituents at three different biofilm thicknesses, where the amount of EPS and bacterial cell number were highest in the initial thickness of 0-100 microm. However, the percent of carbohydrate in the total amount of EPS decreased by about 11.23%, whereas the percent of protein increased by about 11.15% as the biofilm grew. Thus, an abundant quantity of EPS and cell mass, as well as a specific quality of EPS were apparently needed to attach to the substratum in the first step of the biofilm growth. A FISH analysis revealed that the dominant phylogenetic group was beta- and gamma-Proteobacteria, where a significant subclass of Proteobacteria for removing phosphate and/or nitrate was found within a biofilm thickness of 0-250 microm. In addition, 16S rDNA clone libraries revealed that Klebsiella sp. and Citrobacter sp. were most dominant within the initial biofilm thickness of 0-250 microm, whereas sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such as Beggiatoa sp. and Thiothrix sp., were detected in a biofilm thickness over 250 microm. The results of the bacterial community structure analysis using molecular techniques agreed with the results of the morphological structure based on scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, the overall results indicated that coliform bacteria participated in the nitrate and phosphorus removal when using the SBRBC system. Moreover, the structure of the biofilm was also found to be related to the EPS constituents, as well as the nitrogen and phosphate removal efficiency. Consequently, since this is the first identification of the bacterial community and structure of the biofilm from an RBC simultaneously removing nitrogen and phosphate from domestic wastewater, and it is hoped that the present results may provide a foundation for understanding nitrate and phosphate removal by an RBC system.

The nitrogen-removal performances of three full-scale piggery wastewater treatment plants, with different organic and nitrogen loads, at the capacity ranges of 95 to 130 m3/d, were compared in this study. Plants 1 and 2 can be characterized as the modification of anoxic-aerobic operating systems, while an anaerobic and anoxic-aerobic system was used in plant 3. The influent piggery wastewater concentration for plant 1 was relatively lower, but with higher organic and nitrogen loads, resulting in higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium-nitrogen in effluent. Plant 2 was operated with strong piggery wastewater, resulting in a higher operating temperature. The high temperature could inhibit the nitrifying activity in plant 2. Although plant 3 was operated with a higher influent total COD-to-total Kjeldahl nitrogen ratio (TCOD:TKN), an additional external carbon source was required to polish the final effluent to remove nitrogen. Influent COD in plant 3 was used in the anaerobic-anoxic reactor for both methane (CH4) production and denitrification. Based on various mass balances, including caloric, COD, and alkalinity, the key elements for the successful nitrogen removal from the piggery waste were reactor temperature (less than 35degrees C), influent TCOD:TKN (greater than 6), and alkalinity-to-TKN ratio (greater than 3).

Practical aspect on the application of floating media for the sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) has not been studied in detail, especially focused on settling step, nutrient removal and temperature effects. Two types of floating media (sponge and plastic) had been examined for SBBR operation with sewage. Based on the observations with various experimental variables including temperature, media volume, operating methods, both SBBR units with sponge and plastic media generally produced a stable nitrified effluent, but depicted unstable phosphorus removal. The sponge media showed better nitrogen removal, while plastic media showed better phosphorus removal. Overall nutrient removal capability for SBBR was better than a typical SBR without media. In addition, SBBR with sponge media was capable to absorb shock loads, but could not effectively nitrify at a lower temperature even with an increased media volume. In order to produce lower SS effluent as well as minimize P release during the settling step, the floating media SBBR systems would require a dual settling stage.