NITRIFICATION OF MUNICIPAL WASTE-WATER IN MOVING-BED BIOFILM REACTORS

A moving-bed biofilm reactor has been developed, where the biofilm grows on small, free-floating plastic elements with a large surface area and a density slightly less than 1.0 g/cm3. Nitrification of preprecipitated wastewater in a once-through system and raw wastewater in a recycled system with predenitrification has been studied in a pilot plant with an active, specific biofilm surface area of approximately 310 m2/m3. Maximum nitrification rates under comparable operating conditions were 20% to 25% higher with preprecipitated wastewater in the once-through system than with raw wastewater in the recycled system. A temperature coefficient of theta = 1.09 was found. However, under oxygen-limited conditions, the apparent temperature effect was insignificant in the temperature range from 7 to 18-degrees-C because of increased dissolved oxygen levels at low temperatures. At 10-degrees-C volumetric nitrification rates from 300 to 400 g NH4-N/m3.d can be expected.