title: Performance of a modified RBC system in simulated municipal wastewater treatment.
abstract: A new method based on rotating biological contactor (RBC) was employed for solving the problems of long hydraulic retention times (HRT) low specific surface area and organic loading rates (OLR) in conventional RBCs. The system showed its particular adsorption ability of microorganisms in the biofilm-attaching period. Microbes on the first cage were observed in comparison with the second one. Packing biodisc also had a good shock load tolerance. It was observed that the system performance improved at higher HRTs, while at the increased level of input OLR, the removal performance worsened slightly. The positive role of rotational speed in the treatment of municipal wastewater was more pronounced in the range of 10-12 rpm. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate achieved 94% under the optimal operating conditions, which were HRT of 1.5 h, rotational speed of 9.9 rpm. The modified RBC system is highly beneficial to engineering application for better system performance and lower energy consumption.
authors.affiliation: The College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Tang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yun-lu
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong-fang
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xian-rong
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jie
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu-xing
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ke-xun
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lander
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*