Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR)

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) processes improve reliability, simplify operation, and require less space than traditional wastewater treatment systems.

MBBR technology employs thousands of polyethylene biofilm carriers operating in mixed motion within an aerated wastewater treatment basin. Each individual biocarrier increases productivity through providing protected surface area to support the growth of heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria within its cells. It is this high-density population of bacteria that achieves high-rate biodegradation within the system, while also offering process reliability and ease of operation.

This technology provides cost-effective treatment with minimal maintenance since MBBR processes self-maintain an optimum level of productive biofilm. Additionally, the biofilm attached to the mobile biocarriers within the system automatically responds to load fluctuations.

Process Benefits

Compact DesignA fraction of the size of conventional systems

Expandable

Capacity can be easily upgraded by simply increasing the fill fraction of biofilm carriers

Single Pass Process

No return activated sludge stream required

Load Responsive

Actively sloughed biofilm automatically responds to load fluctuations

Minimal Maintenance

No F/M ratios or MLSS levels to maintain

MBBR processes are an excellent solution for common wastewater applications including:

BOD Reduction

Wastewater Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Reduction

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Reduction

The MBBR process is ideally suited for carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand (BOD/COD) removal applications.

MBBR processes retain a large volume of biofilm within the biological wastewater treatment process. As a result, degradation of biodegradable contaminants are sustained in highly compact tank sizes. Without the requirement to return sludge, the process provides increased protection against toxic shock, while automatically adjusting to load fluctuations.

Benefits for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Reduction include:

• High Land-Use Efficiency
• Unattended operation
• Expandable by simple addition of biofilm carriers and air by volume

Typical applications include:

• Industrial wastewater treatment to reduce BOD to below 250 mg/L
• Groundwater treatment to reduce phenol levels to less than 1 mg/L
• Municipal wastewater treatment to achieve < 10 mg/L of BOD
• Lagoon elimination

Nitrification

Nitrification Process

Nitrification

The MBBR process is ideally suited for nitrification applications because the process enables the proliferation of nitrifying bacteria within the protected surface area of thousands of plastic pieces, called biocarriers or media.

Nitrifying bacteria have relatively slower growth rates and are strongly influenced by water temperature. Many processes have difficulty achieving reliable nitrification; the MBBR process advances biofilm technology to achieve highly reliable, complete nitrification within compact tank volumes.

One of the greatest challenges in achieving nitrification is to establish sufficient quantities of nitrifying bacteria without washing them out of the system. MBBR technology enables the biological process to sustain a high-density population of nitrifying bacteria without relying on increased solids retention time (SRT) or mixed-liquor suspended solids (MLSS). Nitrifying bacteria are sustained in the protected cells of every MBBR biocarrier within the process.

Another challenge with nitrifying bacteria populations is their relatively slow regeneration following toxic shock or organic shock incidents. An upset to conventional processes (especially during cold water seasons) can cause a lengthy period of permit violation. MBBR technology dramatically improves toxic shock response time by retaining a dynamic multi-layer biofilm system within the secondary biological process, achieving fast recovery from severe flow and load fluctuations.

Applied for post-treatment following activated sludge, or a BOD Reduction process, a separate-stage MBBR nitrification process can reduce ammonia in cold temperatures while eliminating the operational drawbacks of conventional approaches that require increased solids retention time (SRT) or higher mixed-liquor suspended solids (MLSS) levels.

MBBR achieves reliable nitrification while sustaining a high level of process resiliency not available via conventional or competitive technologies.

Total Nitrogen Removal

Denitrification Process

TOTAL NITROGEN REMOVAL (DENITRIFICATION)

The MBBR process enables total nitrogen removal in compact spaces through high-density nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria populations.

Headworks BIO designs total nitrogen removal processes in multi-stage configuration typically with nitrification processes followed by denitrification processes. MBBR biofilm carrier technology is employed to achieve the necessary density of heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria within staged aerobic and anoxic processes.

Pre-denitrification achieves nitrogen removal without an external carbon source and is therefore attractive from an operating cost viewpoint. This process requires a recycle of nitrified effluent to an anoxic stage where it mixes with the influent.

Post-denitrification can be achieved as a serial stage after nitrification, requiring an external carbon source addition. It is typically attractive due to volumetric efficiency.

MBBR denitrification processes are commonly used in decentralized wastewater treatment systems for their ease of operation and elimination of bulking problems.

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor systems deliver a flexible, cost-effective, and easy-to-operate means to address current wastewater requirements and the expandability to meet future loads or more stringent discharge requirements within a compact design.

Source by HEADWORKUSA