THE MBBR CONUNDRUM - AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE - EPISODE # 3 (THIRD INSTALLMENT?) Folks ! We have already understood the Triple Whammy effect of the three fatal flaws that afflict MBBR STPs in India. The fault lies not in MBBR technology but in the empty heads of charlatans and quacks who put forth these compromised, Pseudo MBBR designs without understanding the basics of this technology. Now let me take you through some of the other comorbidities in the design, engineering, execution which hasten premature consignment to the graveyard of these MBBR STPS along with their cousins the SBR STPs which we encountered earlier. Both EAAS and MBBR STPs use continuous treatment technology. The resemblance stops right there. While EAAS operates in the suspended growth regime (Microbes are suspended in the Aeration tank), MBBR operates in the attached growth regime - meaning microbes are attached to the plastic carrier media introduced in the tank, which form the moving bed in the MBBR tank. Hence Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor. So now we can immediately appreciate the crucial and critical role the carrier plastic media has to play in an MBBR STP. It has to have a specific Bulk density when uncoated, a different density when coated with the design film thickness of microbes, a roughness coefficient to permit attachment of microbes, a good USABLE surface area where microbes can grow undisturbed and without attrition due to agitation, collision etc., etc. Hence the plastic media to be used should be specifically tailored for MBBR application. Instead what we see in a vast majority of MBBR STPs in India are common garden variety plastic media typically used in Cooling towers and other pedestrian applications unsuited for MBBR duty. Many a times, we have seen the media bunched up and stagnating at the top of the tank or totally sunk, lying at the bottom of the tank. No moving Bed here ! No Biofilm here ! A photo of the Plastic carrier media taken out of any MBBR STP tells the story more graphically, especially when juxtaposed and contrasted against a genuine Anox Kaldnes MBBR media. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words and more.
That is why Anox MBBR is known as 1% MBBR Media + 99% Engineering = 100% MBBR. Here it is always seen reverse.
To both Amit and Meenakshi Sundaram's comments, my only response is things will only improve if the respective PCB's take their jobs seriously and and are incentivised to enforce compliance.
This situation is also due to the fact that there is no clear cut calculations provided for the choice of huge volumes of carrier dedicated for the exposed surface area ,density ,COD reduction calculations for choosing such huge volumes, reason for selection of a percentage of MBBR tank for carriers. Educating the purchaser with the carrier selection criteria will be the best way to ensure that we have quality carriers in MBBRs
Dear Dr. Kodavasal, fully agree with you in this part. Only plastic is sold. In fact the popularity of MBBR is due to this fact that local plastic products are way too cheaper than other plastic brands. For us convincing clients that why our prices are nearly 12 to 15 times higher is bit tough job. But after all performance speaks. Such plastics fail on industrial effluent miserably. The best solution to this is stricter compliance norms with honesty and due diligence !!!!
Director- at XeenoBio Watertech
3 年Please let me know your mail ID and communicate on your product range you have on MBBR. My mail ID is [email protected]