The ability of the biological fluidized bed (BFB) process configuration to intensify biological reaction rates through accumulation of high concentrations of active biomass has brought attention to the technology for the past twenty years. Over 80 commercial, media based BFB reactors have been installed in North America and Europe. Currently there is much interest in systems in which granular activated carbon (GAC) is used as the fluidizing media for treatment of contaminated waters and wastewaters. This paper provides a historical review of the development of the technology together with information on design and commercial application of the technology in North America.
The Algoma Steel byproduct coke plant consists of three coke-oven batteries capable of producing approximately 3000 tid of coke. The source of the primary process wastewater from the coke plant is the excess flushing liquor or weak ammonia liquor produced during initial cooling of coke-oven gases. This raw liquor stream is directed to an ammonia still where ammonia is recovered through steam stripping. Wastewater is then directed to a biological treatment plant designed for phenolics removal. The biological treatment scheme used at Algoma is a fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) system. Design of the system anticipated a median phenolic load of 1 ]] 7 kgld (2463 IbId), consisting of a phenolics concentration of I 012 mglL in the wastewater and a flow of 46.1 m 3 fh (203 gpm).Nine days after start-up, the FBRs were receiving more than 40 m 3 fh of wastewater containing I 000 mg/L of phenolics and an approximately equal amount of clean mill water, added as dilution water for temperature control. Effluent from the system contained less than 5 mg/L phenolics. During a 6-week performance assessment of the system, which began approximately 2 weeks after process start-up, FBRs achieved more than 99% phenolics reduction based on diluted wastewater feed concentration. Approximately 5 weeks after process start-up, thiocyanate in the effluent was reduced to less than 5 mg/L, representing approximately 95% removal based on diluted wastewater feed concentration. At this time the biomass concentration, measured as volatile solids, in the FBRs was greater than 15 gIL. Water Environ. Res., 71, 5 (1999).
The perchlorate anion has been detected in the drinking water of millions of people living in the United States. At perchlorate levels equal to or greater than 1 mg/L and where the water is not immediately used for household purposes, ex-situ biotreatment has been widely applied. The principal objective of this paper was to compare the technical and economic advantages and disadvantages of various bioreactor configurations in the treatment of low-and medium-strength perchlorate-contaminated aqueous streams. The ideal bioreactor configuration for this application should be able to operate efficiently while achieving a long solids retention time, be designed to promote physical-chemical adsorption in addition to biodegradation, and operate under plug-flow hydraulic conditions. To date, the granular activated carbon (GAC) or sand-media-based fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) and GAC, sand-, or plastic-media-based packed bed reactors (PBRs) have been the reactor configurations most widely applied for perchlorate treatment. Only the FBR configuration has been applied commercially. Commercial-scale cost information presented implies no economic advantage for the PBR relative to the FBR configuration. Full-scale application information provides evidence that the FBR is a good choice for treating perchlorate-contaminated aqueous streams. Water Environ. Res., 78, 2417Res., 78, (2006.
The membrane biological reactor (MBR) system consists of a suspended-growth biological reactor combined with a membrane ultrafiltration unit process. It is particularly attractive in situations where long solids retention times are required, and physical retention and subsequent hydrolysis are critical to achieving biological degradation of pollutants. In order to develop full scale process design information, a large pilot system was operated for eleven months. The pilot project involved assessing performance and developing design information for the system in the treatment of wastewater from two General Motors (GM) facilities. The pilot system results provided a basis for design of a full scale, demonstration MBR system for treatment of industrial wastewater. Case history information is presented in this paper on the design of the MBR system and subsequent operation and performance. Despite certain design issues, the system has met or exceeded performance expectations.zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Water Environ. Res., 66, 133 (1994).
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