Nitrogen removal characteristics and biofilm analysis of a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor applicable to high-strength nitrogenous wastewater treatment

Membrane-Aerated Biofilms for High Rate Biotreatment: Performance Appraisal, Engineering Principles, Scale-up, and Development Requirements

“…• Specialist degrading microorganisms, such as ammonia oxidizing bacteria, tend to be preferentially located adjacent to the biofilm-membrane interface thereby enhancing their retention by protection from biofilm erosion 17 .…”

“…Long term performance appears promising with continuous operation reported up to 350 days 17 . However, rates of denitrification are highly variable and would seem to depend on the attainment of an optimum biofilm thickness and the retention of denitrifying organisms following washing procedures.…”

“…Dead end operation can theoretically offer up to 100% oxygen utilization 17,19 , however, the oxygen transfer rate can be reduced by water condensation and/or the accumulation of carbon dioxide creating axial gradients in the lumen.…”

Mass transfer in a membrane aerated biofilm

“…La stratification du biofilm offre donc un potentiel pour des réactions de nitrification, dénitrification et dégradation de la DCO simultanément. Terada et al (2003) ont observé une nitrification et dénitrification simultanée dans un RBAM. Ils observent expérimentalement la stratification des populations bactériennes dans le biofilm.…”

Simultaneous Nitrification and Denitrification of Wastewater Using a Silicone Membrane Aerated Bioreactor

“…The air than penetrates through the membrane tubing into the biofilm that forms on the outer surface of the membrane. The bacteria in the biofilm consume the oxygen to oxidize pollutants diffusing from the bulk solution (Terada et al, 2003;Casey, 1999).…”