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Control of heterotrophic layer formation on nitrifying biofilms in a biofilm airlift suspension reactor
Author(s) -
van Benthum W. A. J.,
van Loosdrecht M. D. M.,
Heijnen J. J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0290(19970220)53:4<397::aid-bit7>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - airlift , biofilm , heterotroph , suspension (topology) , bioreactor , nitrification , nitrifying bacteria , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental chemistry , biology , bacteria , nitrogen , organic chemistry , genetics , mathematics , homotopy , pure mathematics
A Biofilm Airlift Suspension (BAS) reactor was operated with nitrifying biofilm growth and heterotrophic suspended growth, simultaneously converting ammonium and acetate. Growth of heterotrophs in suspension decreases the diffusion limitation for the nitrifiers, and enlarges the nitrifying capacity of a biofilm reactor. Neither nitrifiers nor heterotrophs suffer from additional oxygen diffusion limitation when the heterotrophs grow in suspension. Control of the location of heterotrophic growth, either in suspension or in biofilms over the nitrifying biofilms, was possible by manipulation of the hydraulic retention time. A time delay for formation and disappearance of the heterotrophic biofilms of 10 to 15 days was observed. Surprisingly, it was found that in the presence of the heterotrophic layers the maximum specific activity on ammonia of the nitrifying biofilms increased. The reason for the increase in activity is unknown. The effect of heterotrophic biofilm formation on oxygen diffusion limitation for the nitrifiers is discussed. Some phenomena compensating the increased mass transfer resistance due to the growth of a heterotrophic layer are also presented. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 397–405, 1997.