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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Detachment of solids and nitrifiers in integrated, fixed-film activated sludge systems
Carol L A Maas1, Wayne J Parker, Raymond L Legge
1Hydroxyl Systems Inc., 26 Bastion Square, Victoria BC, Canada. clamaas@gmail.com
Abstract:
Despite the importance of detachment to biofilm processes, detachment phenomena are not well understood. In this study, researchers investigated biofilm detachment from free-floating biofilm carriers that were established in an integrated, fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) installation in Mississauga, Ontario. A method for assessing detachment from biofilm carrier systems was devised, evaluated, and refined during this study. In the absence of substrate, superficial air velocity significantly affected the 24-hour detachment rates of total suspended solids from the carriers. Short-term growth conditions did not appear to significantly affect the rate of detachment of solids and nitrifiers. The measured solids-detachment rates were found to be described by a second order function of biofilm attached growth total solids with a detachment coefficient of 0.006 +/- 0.0008 (g/m x d)(-1).
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