MOVING BED BIOFILM REACTORS

Abstract

Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) rely on the growth of biofilms on “carriers” in aeration tanks for wastewater treatment. These carriers are made of materials with density close to that of water. MBBRs are considered to be more efficient as compared to other conventional processes and have many advantages, such as lesser size, more resilience toward toxic shock, etc., and are also independent of the performance of secondary clarifiers. Increase in efficiency is achieved by using both attached biofilms and suspended bacteria, as in the case of hybrid MBBRs. Biogas can also be produced from wastewater by using anaerobic MBBRs.