AGAR® MBBR

A robust solution for intensive BOD and nitrogen removal.

The standard application of the FlotaBed^TM process – MBBR – is to reduce BOD and COD through the biodegradable carbon removal. The surface of the biofilm on each m³ of the tank’s volume is quite significant, so that it is possible to remove biodegradable pollutants in relatively small reactors. AGAR^® MBBR technology does not involve sludge recycle, so that the risk of the activated sludge intoxication and ‘swelling’ is limited thanks to the automatic adjustment to the influent loads.

The AGAR^® Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR) configuration offers a biological  treatment process which involves organic carbon removal, as well as nitrification and de-nitrification where needed, without recirculation of the activated sludge.

The process is simple, robust, and requires minimal intervention on the part of the operator. Wastewater is introduced into a single- or multiple-stage system (depending on whether nitrogen removal is required). Each of the stages contains the suitable volume of Aqwise Biomass Carriers.

The process configuration designed for COD/BOD removal is a once-through system, with 1 or 2 process stages in series. The number of stages depends on the required effluent quality. Wastewater enters the reactor, the effluent exits and flows to a solids separation unit, e.g. a clarifier or a DAF unit. This configuration does not involve sludge recycle to the aeration tank. All of the biological activity takes place in the bio-film on the carriers.

Whenever nitrogen removal is required the process involves more stages and an additional circulation of the (nitrified) effluent to the pre-de-nitrification tank. The sludge circulation does not occur here either!

The MBBR configuration is well suited for a variety of purposes, such as industrial wastewater pretreatment (load reduction), full treatment of industrial or municipal wastewater as well as polishing treatment following the existing installations, e.g. lagoons.