Title: The essential role of filling material in aerobic granular biomass generation in a periodic submerged biofilter

Authors: Claudio Di Iaconi, Guido Del Moro, Antonio Lopez, Roberto Ramadori

Addresses: Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, C.N.R. – Via F. De Blasio 5 – 70123, Bari, Italy. ' Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, C.N.R. – Via F. De Blasio 5 – 70123, Bari, Italy. ' Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, C.N.R. – Via F. De Blasio 5 – 70123, Bari, Italy. ' Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque – C.N.R., Via Reno 1 – 00198 Rome, Italy

Abstract: The paper reports the results of a laboratory-scale investigation aimed at evaluating the influence of the filling material of a Sequencing Submerged Biofilter Reactor (SSBR) on granular biomass generation. The results showed that aerobic granular biomass generation was obtained only in the reactor filled with kmt-k1 carrier, since the features of this filling media are such that they generate a bed characterised by rather uniform internal and external small-sized pore volumes able to retain the released biofilm particles. Finally, the aerobic granule formation improved the biomass retention efficiency and reduced the excess sludge production.

Keywords: aerobic granulation; periodic submerged biofilters; filling material features; shear forces; biomass density; granular biomass production; sequencing submerged biofilter reactors; SSBR; biofilm particles; excess sludge; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2009.031836

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2009 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.144 - 155

Published online: 25 Feb 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article