MOVING-BED-BIOFILM-REACTOR-TECHNOLOGY-–-A-FULL-SCALE-INSTALLATION-FOR-TREATMENT-OF-PHARMACEUTICAL

MovingBedBiofilmReactorTechnology–AFullScaleInstallationforTreatmentofPharmaceuticalWastewaterMOVINGBEDBIOFILMREACTORTECHNOLOGY–AFULL-SCALEINSTALLATIONFORTREATMENTOFPHARMACEUTICALWASTEWATERJohnBrinkley,P.E.,BCEE,ProjectManager,Stearns&Wheler,PLLC,Raleigh,NC*ChandlerH.Johnson,President,AnoxKaldnes,Inc.,Providence,RIRobertSouza,PrincipalEngineer-Utilities,TalecrisBiotherapeutics,Clayton,NCABSTRACTTodaymanywastewatertreatmentfacilitiesarebeingexpandedtoprovideadditionalcapacitybecauseofincreasedflowandorganicloading.Oftenthesefacilitieshavelimitedspaceduetoencroachingdevelopment.Asaresult,processescontinuetobedevelopedtoaddressthesiteconstraintsfacedbymunicipalandindustrialwastewatertreatmentfacilities.Oneoftheseprocessesisactivatedsludgewithsuspendedfixed-filmpacking,suchastheMovingBedBiofilmReactor(MBBR).MBBRsincorporatebenefitsprovidedbybothfixedfilmandactivatedsludgeprocesses.TheMBBRprocessisacontinuousflowprocesswhichusessmallhighdensitypolyethylene(HDPE)carrierelementstoprovidesitesforactivebacteriaattachmentinasuspendedgrowthmedium.Thisallowsahigherconcentrationofactivebiomasstobemaintainedinthereactorforbiologicaltreatmentwithoutincreasingthereactorsize.Theresultismoretreatmentcapacitywithinagivenreactorvolume,resultinginasmallerfootprintcomparedtoaconventionalactivatedsludgeprocess.Inaddition,unliketheconventionalactivatedsludgeprocessMBBRsdonotrequirereturnactivatedsludgepumping.TalecrisBiotherapeuticslocatedinClayton,NorthCarolinaisapharmaceuticalproductionfacilitywhichmanufacturesplasmaproductsforthehealthindustry.TheoriginalpretreatmentfacilityincludedanaerobiclagoonwithsolidsrecyclefortreatingthewastewaterfromtheproductionprocessesbeforedischargingthetreatedeffluenttotheTownofClayton’swastewatercollectionsystem.Thewastewatertreatmentfacilityconsistedofamaceratorequippedwithascreeningauger,twoabovegroundequalizationbasins,anearthenaeratedlagoon,twosecondaryclarifiers,andanaeratedsludgeholdingbasin.Thefacilityusesacontracthaulerfordisposalofthewasteactivate