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Evaluating the Effect of Biofilm Thickness on Nitrification in Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors.

Piculell, Maria LU ; Welander, Pia ; Jönsson, Karin LU and Welander, Thomas (2015) In Environmental Technology p.1-28
Abstract
This study evaluates the effect of biofilm thickness on the nitrifying activity in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) in a controlled environment. In-depth understanding of biofilm properties in MBBRs and their effect on the overall treatment efficiency compose the key to optimizing process stability and efficiency. However, evaluating biofilm properties in continuously operated MBBRs can be extremely challenging. This study uses a carrier design which enables comparison of four different biofilm thicknesses, in otherwise equally operated lab-scale MBBRs. The results show that, within the studied range (200-500 µm) and specific operation conditions, biofilm thickness alone had no significant effect on the overall ammonium removal. The... (More)
This study evaluates the effect of biofilm thickness on the nitrifying activity in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) in a controlled environment. In-depth understanding of biofilm properties in MBBRs and their effect on the overall treatment efficiency compose the key to optimizing process stability and efficiency. However, evaluating biofilm properties in continuously operated MBBRs can be extremely challenging. This study uses a carrier design which enables comparison of four different biofilm thicknesses, in otherwise equally operated lab-scale MBBRs. The results show that, within the studied range (200-500 µm) and specific operation conditions, biofilm thickness alone had no significant effect on the overall ammonium removal. The nitrate production, however, decreased with a decreasing biofilm thickness, and the ratio between nitrite and ammonia oxidizing activity decreased both with increasing load and decreasing oxygen concentration for all thicknesses. The suggestion that nitratation is disfavored in thin biofilms is an interesting contribution to current research being performed on NOB inhibition for deammonification applications. By indicating that different groups of bacteria respond differently to biofilm thickness, this study accentuates the importance of further evaluation of these complex systems. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Technology
issue
Online 21 August 2015
pages
1 - 28
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:26293109
  • scopus:84958168218
  • wos:000370525600010
  • pmid:26293109
ISSN
1479-487X
DOI
10.1080/09593330.2015.1080308
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
74a5f356-fdf2-466c-9f81-011854b5fbef (old id 7840447)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:11:14
date last changed
2023-11-10 14:12:09
@article{74a5f356-fdf2-466c-9f81-011854b5fbef,
  abstract     = {{This study evaluates the effect of biofilm thickness on the nitrifying activity in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) in a controlled environment. In-depth understanding of biofilm properties in MBBRs and their effect on the overall treatment efficiency compose the key to optimizing process stability and efficiency. However, evaluating biofilm properties in continuously operated MBBRs can be extremely challenging. This study uses a carrier design which enables comparison of four different biofilm thicknesses, in otherwise equally operated lab-scale MBBRs. The results show that, within the studied range (200-500 µm) and specific operation conditions, biofilm thickness alone had no significant effect on the overall ammonium removal. The nitrate production, however, decreased with a decreasing biofilm thickness, and the ratio between nitrite and ammonia oxidizing activity decreased both with increasing load and decreasing oxygen concentration for all thicknesses. The suggestion that nitratation is disfavored in thin biofilms is an interesting contribution to current research being performed on NOB inhibition for deammonification applications. By indicating that different groups of bacteria respond differently to biofilm thickness, this study accentuates the importance of further evaluation of these complex systems.}},
  author       = {{Piculell, Maria and Welander, Pia and Jönsson, Karin and Welander, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{1479-487X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{Online 21 August 2015}},
  pages        = {{1--28}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Environmental Technology}},
  title        = {{Evaluating the Effect of Biofilm Thickness on Nitrification in Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2015.1080308}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09593330.2015.1080308}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}