PERFORMANCE OF A MOVING BED BIOFILM REACTOR (MBBR) IN THE REMOVAL OF COD, TSS, AND SURFACTANTS WASTEWATER

Abstract

Laundry liquid waste contains organic materials and chemical compounds that can reduce environmental quality if not treated properly. One applicable treatment method is the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) process using Kaldnes carriers. This study aims to determine the effect of retention time and type of Kaldnes carriers on pollutant removal efficiency and to analyze the kinetic characteristics of microorganism growth on each carrier. The study was conducted using three aerobic MBBR reactors with variations of K1, K3, and K5 Kaldnes carriers. The retention time used was 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. The kinetic parameters analyzed included specific growth rate (μ), biomass yield (Y), specific substrate consumption rate (q), and Monod kinetic parameters in the form of μmax and Ks. The results indicated that the optimal removal efficiency for all parameters was achieved at a Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of 96 hours. The highest TSS removal of 56% was observed in the reactor using Kaldnes K1 carriers, whereas the highest efficiencies for surfactant and COD were achieved in the reactor using Kaldnes K5 carriers, with 60% for surfactant and 62% for COD. The μ values in Kaldnes K1 was 0.0025 h^-1, while for both Kaldnes K3 and K5 it was 0.0027 h⁻¹. The Y values are 0.80 mg VSS/mg COD for Kaldnes K1 and K5 and 0,76 mg VSS/mg COD for Kaldnes K3. The q value for the Kaldnes K1, K3, and K5 were 0.0031 h⁻¹; 0.0035 h⁻¹; and 0.0033 h⁻¹. Based on the Monod approach for the Kaldnes K1, K3, and K5, the μmax values were 0.0035 h⁻¹; 0.0047 h⁻¹; and 0.0045 h⁻¹, while the Ks value is 239.23 mg/L; 477.85 mg/L; and 420 mg/L.