Applications Where MBBR Plants Should Be Used

If you are looking for the best biological water treatment methods for your application, using an MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) plant might be the solution to meet your specific needs. MBBR plants are beneficial in certain applications across multiple sectors, such as:

• Food and beverage factories
• Dairy production
• Decentralized wastewater treatment for hotels/facilities, camps, and community developments
• Paper and pulp mills
• Pharmaceutical factories
• Municipalities/small communities (current and decentralized upgrades)

What Do the MBBR Plants Treat?

The MBBR biological wastewater treatment plant is particularly good at reducing organic materials in the form of:

• BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand)
• COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
• TSS (Total Suspended Solids)
• Nitrification
• Odors

When Should You Consider Implementing It?

It’s never too early to improve your existing wastewater treatment plant or add one to a new facility. If you are interested in reconfiguring an existing treatment system, MBBR units are modular and easy to add to the current system, potentially improving operational efficiency based on the current configuration of your wastewater plant.

Where Can the MBBR Plants Be Used?

Usually during secondary treatment, which typically takes place during any biological treatment phase, following the removal of large solids and inorganic materials and preceding any necessary filtration and disinfection processes. Due to their compact design, MBBR wastewater treatment plants are often designed with a small footprint, making them suitable for smaller areas and potentially not requiring additional land development.

How Does the MBBR Plant Work?

Like most biological treatment processes, MBBR involves natural cellular digestion and decomposition to break down organic waste in wastewater. This process occurs via a biofilm, which is simply a layer of bacteria and protozoa that adheres to a surface. In the case of MBBR, the surface to which the biofilm attaches is within small plastic carriers (media). These carriers can come in various shapes, with pockets created by their engraved designs to increase the internal surface area available for biofilm attachment. The outer surface is often discarded to increase the exterior surface area for bubbles or fluid transfer, keeping the carriers in motion within the effluent. To help the carriers float, the plastic they are made of has a density similar to water, typically high-density polyethylene.

If you need more answers, the CareWater team of specialists is happy to assist you with anything related to MBBR water treatment technology.

Why Should You Use an MBBR Plant?

There are many advantages to using the MBBR system in municipal or commercial/industrial wastewater plants.

Simple Operation

MBBR systems operate with minimal intervention, are self-regulating, and do not require significant operator adjustments. The most important monitoring involves the biofilm itself, which requires skilled labor.

Low Environmental Footprint

Due to their small size, lack of chemical additives, and long-lasting biofilms and carriers, MBBR systems have a small environmental footprint, making them very eco-friendly.

No Recycling Required

Since MBBR is a fixed-film process, the biofilm stays in the same tank as long as the carriers do not exit. This can be managed with a well-designed tank and a sieve screen on the outlet pipes.

Low Energy Consumption

The only energy required for MBBR units is for any control systems and aeration mechanisms. Bubble diffusers may require higher energy and constant operation, but energy use can be reduced with integrated bubble/nano-bubble diffuser systems.

Stable Under High Loads and Flow Fluctuations

Unlike some other biological treatment processes, MBBR can readjust when the volume or composition of water changes at the treatment plant.

Easy Retrofitting

Most MBBR units are modular or designed with a compact footprint, allowing them to be easily added to any existing treatment system as needed.

Reduced Operating Costs

MBBR systems have optimal energy efficiency, leading to lower operational costs.

Small Reactor Size

MBBR systems have low hydraulic retention times, allowing them to function effectively in smaller reactors.

No Complex Controls

Since MBBR systems use a biological treatment process, microorganisms are responsible for the majority of the treatment. As a result, the system requires less operator intervention, making it simple to run.

Space-Saving

The MBBR system uses biofilm carriers, which provide a large surface area for microbial growth. The additional mass of microorganisms enables higher treatment capacity in a relatively smaller space.

Improved Treatment Efficiency

MBBR reactors provide better treatment efficiency compared to other wastewater treatment systems with lower space and budget requirements.

Increased Hydraulic Capacity

MBBR reactor systems can handle larger volumes of water in a given time compared to other systems, improving overall efficiency.

Increased Volumetric Efficiency

Since bacteria handle most of the treatment process, components in the MBBR reactor system remain in better condition, thus optimizing the flow of water through pumps.

Long Lifespan

The biofilm media carriers, which hold the bacteria in the MBBR system, have a long lifespan. In turn, this extends the lifespan of the system as well.