Biofilm architecture in a novel pressurized biofilm reactor

A novel pure-oxygen pressurized biofilm reactor was operated at different organic loading, mechanical shear and hydrodynamic conditions to understand the relationships between biofilm architecture and its operation. The ultimate goal was to improve the performance of the biofilm reactor. The biofilm was labeled with seven stains and observed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Unusual biofilm architecture of a ribbon embedded between two surfaces with very few points of attachment was observed. As organic loading increased, the biofilm morphology changed from a moderately rough layer into a locally smoother biomass with significant bulging protuberances, although the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency remained unchanged at about 75%. At higher organic loadings, biofilms contained a larger fraction of active cells distributed uniformly within a proteinaceous matrix with decreasing polysaccharide content. Higher hydrodynamic shear in combination with high organic loading resulted in the collapse of biofilm structure and a substantial decrease in reactor performance (a COD removal of 16%). Moreover, the important role of proteins for the spatial distribution of active cells was demonstrated quantitatively.