Biofilm

Technology

High-Performance

Biocarrier
for RAS

Dr. Imre Pascik

BIOFILM TECH GmbH
Bonn, Germany
www.levapor.com

Removal of pollutants

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

The removal of
pollutants
The
removal from
of
waste water
pollutants
fromoccurs
via teamof
waste
waterwork
occurs
several
via
team- different
work of
specialised
microbial
several
different
strains, present
in
specialised
microbial
the required
strains,
present in
quantity.
the
required
quantity.

Removal of pollutants

Some of those
special degrading
organisms
flocculate weakly,
grow and settle
slowly and will be
washed out from
the treat-ment
plants, resulting in
damage of the
process.

biofilm technology

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Main
question:

Best solution is the biofilm technology, microbial cell growth on solid

surfaces
(carriers),
forming
biofilms. microbial cell growth on solid
Best
solution
is the biofilm
technology,
surfaces (carriers), forming biofilms.

How to
retain the
biomass in
the
reactor

?
In this form
In the
this cells
form show
the cells show

much higher performance and

much higher performance and

up to 50-time higher stability than free

suspended
up tocells.
50-time higher stability than free
suspended cells.

REQUESTS on OPTIMAL
Wie
wirkt LEVAPOR
CARRIER

PROPERTY
EFFECT
1. High adsorbing capacity
1. High adsorbing capacity

binding toxic pollutants

fast colonisation + biofilm
fast startup at high level

2. Porosity, high inner surfaceprotection of the biofilm

(high biomass
content)
2. Porosity,
high inner
surface high space-time-yields
(high biomass content)
3. Fast wetting
3. Fast wetting
4. Water binding
4. Water binding
5. Proper fluidisation
5. Proper fluidisation

homogene fluidisation
mass transport, bioactivity
lower energy consumption

Design of LEVAPOR

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

LEVAPOR biocarrier have been

designed
on this basis:
LEVAPOR
biocarrier
have been
designed on this basis:
Dimensions

20x20x7 mm

Bulk weight

30 kg/m

Wetting

within few hours

Surface

1,34 mio. m/m

Water binding capacity

~100 kg/m

Biofilm generation

120 min.

unique effects

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Specialty:
Specialty:
High content of
powdered
carbon
High
contentactivated
of
enables unique
effects,
not
powdered
activated
carbon
only simple
cell
adhesion
enables
unique
effects,
not
only simple cell adhesion
Effects:
Effects:

LEVAPOR attributes

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Attribute

LEVAPOR

Plastic carriers

Total surface (m/m)

1,34 Mio

500 to 1000

Adsorbing capacity

very high

low

Degree of reactor
filling

12 to 15 %

30 to 70 %

Porosity

85 to 90 %

50 75 %

Water uptake

up to 250 %

negligible

Colonisation by
microbes

120 to 180 min.

several weeks

Full fluidization at air

flow

4 to 7 (m/mxh)

ca. 10
(m/mxh)

Carrier retention

8-10 mm sieves

screens

Aeration

fine bubble
aeration

coarse bubble

Energy for fluidization

not required

by fluidization

Variability of
properties

very variable

negligible

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Application:
12 to 15 vol.%
of 20*20*7 mm
cubes in a
fluidised bed
reactor

Biodegradation of 2-CA

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Biodegradation of 2-CA
with immobilised
vs. s
Biodegradation
of 2-CA
uspended
bacteria
with
immobilised
vs. s
uspended bacteria

(Univ. of VIENNA)
(Univ. of VIENNA)

Upgrade of existing municipal sewage

Wie
wirkt LEVAPOR
treatment
plant

N-concentrations after
addition of 12% after
LEVAPOR
N-concentrations
at 10 toof17C
addition
12%established.
LEVAPOR
at 10 to 17C established.
After 3-4 weeks a stable
nitrification
has
been
After
3-4 weeks
a stable
establihedhas
! been
nitrification
establihed !

Ningan: Nitrification in
Wie
wirkt LEVAPOR
winter
NINGAN SEWAGE TP, CHINA
NINGAN SEWAGE TP, CHINA
Sewage: 22.000 m/day
Reactors:
4* 800
m = 3200 m
Sewage:
22.000
m/day
Reactors: 4* 800 m = 3200 m
12,5 vol.% LEVAPOR Biocarrier
Retention
time: 3,5Biocarrier
3,8 h
12,5
vol.% LEVAPOR
Startup :time:
October
, 2010
Retention
3,5 13,8
h
Startup : October 1 , 2010
Problem: Nitrification in
winter Nitrification in
Problem:
winter Winter begins in October
Plantbegins
is only in250
km to
Winter
October
Vladivostok
Plant
is only 250 km to
Vladivostok

Ningan: Nitrification in
Wie
wirkt LEVAPOR
winter
TKN-oxidation and
TN-removal during
TKN-oxidation
and
different phases
TN-removal
during
in 2013phases
different
in 2013

Targets of the
Wie
wirkt LEVAPOR
investigations
To improve the efficiency of the water recycle
via increased
nutrient
removal,
Toplant
improve
the efficiency
of the
water recycle
meaning
plant
via increased nutrient removal,
meaning
to find a more efficient biocarrier for the removal
of fish toxic compounds, than existing plastic
carriers
to define the biokinetic parameter of the Nremoval
to develop an optimized technology for the Nremoval

Carrier

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

PE-carrier
780 m/m
PE-carrier
780 m/m

LEVAPOR
>LEVAPOR
20.000 m/m
> 20.000 m/m

PU foam
1.500
m/m
PU
foam
1.500 m/m

Ceramics
400 m/m
Ceramics
400 m/m

The biofilter pilot plants

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

NH4N Removal

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

NH4 + NO2 Removal

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

Conclusions

Wie wirkt LEVAPOR

In all tests LEVAPOR carrier have achieved highest degree
of removal
bothcarrier
for ammoniacal
as well
as fordegree
nitrite
In all tests
LEVAPOR
have achieved
highest
nitrogen as well as for nitrite
of removal both for ammoniacal
The LEVAPOR supported
nitrification achieved a ca. 100 %
nitrogen
higher efficiency
than
the PE carrier
supported
The LEVAPOR
supported
nitrification
achieved
a ca. biofilter
100 %
higher efficiency than the PE carrier supported biofilter
Due to high porosity and carrier surface, the LEVAPOR
reactorand
has
achieved
a remarkable
NO2Duesupported
to high porosity
carrier
surface,
the LEVAPOR
removal a remarkable NO2supported reactor has achieved
The LEVAPOR supported
biofilter removed 300% more
removal
(NH4+NO2)N
than biofilter
the PE carrier
supported
filter
The LEVAPOR
supported
removed
300% more
(NH4+NO2)N than the PE carrier supported filter

On basis of the achieved results the company has

decided
to the company has
On basis of the achieved
results
apply LEVAPOR decided
biocarrier
to in the new biofilters.
apply LEVAPOR biocarrier in the new biofilters.

Biofilm
Technology

High-Performance

Biocarrier
for RAS

Dr. Imre Pascik

BIOFILM TECH GmbH
Bonn, Germany
www.levapor.com