Abstract
An efficient packed-bed type biofilm reactor charged with immobilized phototrophs was developed to treat organic wastewater at an extremely high volumetric loading rate. The packed bed reactor (PBR) charged with porous ceramic beads was superior to a fluidized-bed reactor suspended with activated carbon powders in terms of many aspects such as BOD removal efficiency, operational stability, and overall economics. For wastewater with BOD concentration as high as 20, 000mg/l, the BOD removal efficiency was maintained above 90% when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was longer than 1 day. The allowable volumetric BOD loading rate of this reactor (20gBOD/l day) is more than ten-folds higher than that of an ordinary activated sludge method. The behaviour of the reactor was represented well by a Monod type kinetic equation with a maximum specific BOD loading rate(P) of 22.2gBOD/l day and a half saturation constant(K$_{s}$) of 1, 750 mgBOD/l.
