Search

Support materials of low-density for fluidized bed reactors provide several operational advantages, including lower energy requirements and proper biofilm growth balance. The aim of this investigation was to study the extent of biofilm growth and bed fluidization in an experimental reactor, using polyester resin (ρ pr =1220 kg/m 3 ) and vitrified expanded perlite (ρ vep = 1710 kg/m 3 ) as alternative support materials to conventional silica sand. A noteworthy amount of biofilm was observed to be attached to both support materials from the very beginning of the bioreactor operation. Nevertheless, there were significant variations in biofilm growth and activity over the course of the experimental trials. For both perlite and polyester beds, the highest biofilm mass and the highest total number of mesophilic bacteria were observed between the 7 th and the 10 th day, showing a steady state trend at the end of the experimental runs. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal levels were concomitant with biofilm mass and total mesophilic bacteria changes, although the polyester bed efficiency was slightly higher than that for the perlite bed. As expected, the polyester bed was fluidized at a lower re-circulation flow compared to the perlite bed. Reactor back-washing was not required for these support materials since biomass excess was adequately separated by means of a special internal device. The efficiencies of removal of organic matter achieved were acceptable (up to 78 %) despite the low volume of the support material (25 %) and the low hydraulic retention time (30 min).

Nitrogen removal was studied in a pilot scale continuous flow system consisting of two reactors in series for nitrification and denitrification. The system was used to eliminate ammonia, nitrate and nitrite from a secondary wastewater effluent. The first stage of the process consisted of an aerobic upflow bioreactor with an autotrophic nitrifying population for ammonia oxidation, which was grown on silica sand granules and produced during the growth process nitrite and nitrate. During the second stage, these oxidised forms of nitrogen were successfully reduced to nitrogen gas in an anoxic denitrification fluidised bed reactor. At this stage, methanol was added as an external carbon source for the heterotrophic organisms growing on a silica sand support. The optimum nitrification efficiency was 91% for the highest ammonia concentration at the influent (51 mg NH 3 -N/1) and a retention time of 3.7 hours. With a lower ammonia concentration (23 mg NH 3 -N/1), the highest nitrification efficiency was 95% corresponding to 1.1 mg NH 3 -N/1 in the nitrified effluent. In the denitrification process, a 95% removal efficiency of nitrite and nitrate for 55 mg NO x -N/1 at 2.3 hours and a concentration of microorganisms in the reactor of approx. 6,000 mg VSS/1 was obtained. As a complementary stage of the nitrogen removal process, a silica sand and powder-activated carbon filter was installed in order to improve the quality of the final effluent in terms of other properties like turbidity, colour and the content of organic matter.