Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Comparison between a moving bed membrane bioreactor and a conventional membrane bioreactor on organic carbon and
Shuai Yang1, Fenglin Yang, Zhimin Fu
1Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, MOE, School of Environmental and Biological Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
Abstract:
A membrane bioreactor filled with carriers instead of activated sludge named a moving bed membrane bioreactor (MBMBR) was investigated for simultaneously removing organic carbon and nitrogen in wastewater. Its performance was compared with a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) at various influent COD/TN ratios of 8.9-22.1. The operational parameters were optimized to increase the treatment efficiency. COD removal efficiency averaged at 95.6% and 96.2%, respectively, for MBMBR and CMBR during the 4 months experimental period. The MBMBR system demonstrated good performance on nitrogen removal at different COD/TN ratios. When COD/TN was 8.9 and the total nitrogen (TN) load was 7.58 mg/l h, the TN and ammonium nitrogen removal efficiencies of the MBMBR were maintained over 70.0% and 80.0%, respectively, and the removed total nitrogen (TN) load reached to 5.31 mg/l h. Multifunctional microbial reactions in the carrier, such as simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND), play important roles in nitrogen removal. In comparison, the CMBR did not perform so well. Its TN removal was not stable, and the removed total nitrogen (TN) load was only 1.02 mg/l h at COD/TN ratio 8.9. The specific oxygen utilization rate (SOUR) showed that the biofilm has a better microbial activity than an activated sludge. Nevertheless, the membrane fouling behavior was more severe in the MBMBR than in the CMBR due to a thick and dense cake layer formed on the membrane surface, which was speculated to be caused by the filamentous bacteria in the MBMBR.
Related Concept Videos
Bioreactor Design and Operational System
Batch vs Continuous Culture
Bioreactor Controls-II
Bioremediation
Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

