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Updated: May 21, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
High rate biological nutrient removal from high strength wastewater using anaerobic-circulating fluidized bed
Mehran Andalib1, George Nakhla, Jesse Zhu
1Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B9.
Abstract:
Biological nutrient removal (BNR) from high strength wastewater was investigated using a newly developed integrated anaerobic fluidized bed (AF) with circulating fluidized bed bioreactor henceforth called A-CFBBR. The A-CFBBR showed 99.7%COD removal, 84% nitrogen removal, with a very low sludge yield of 0.017 g VSS/g COD while treating a synthetic wastewater containing 10,700 mg COD/L and 250 mg NH(3)-N/L over a period of 6 months. The system was operated at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 35 kg COD/m(3)(AF) d and nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 1.1 kg N/m(3)(CFBBR) d at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of less than 12 h in the A-CFBBR. Microbial communities analysis using DGGE confirmed the presence of both AOBs and NOBs in the riser and downer. Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas fluorescence were the dominant denitrifiers present in the downer. Methanogenic activity was accomplished by a microbial mixture of archaea and bacteria in the anaerobic column.
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