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

Abstract

Laundry liquid waste contains organic materials and chemical compounds that can reduce environmental quality if not treated properly. One of the treatment methods that can be used is the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) with Kaldnes media. This study aims to determine the effect of residence time and type of Kaldnes media  on COD elimination and to determine the kinetic characteristics of microorganism growth in each medium. The study was conducted using three aerobic MBBR reactors with variations of K1, K3, and K5 Kaldnes media. The residence 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 showed that the highest COD elimination efficiency at 96 hours of stay was obtained in K5 caldnes at 62%, followed by K3 at 59% and K1 at 54%. The μ values in K1, K3, and K5 were 0.0025 respectively; 0,0027; and 0.0027 hours⁻¹. The Y values are 0.80 each; 0,76; and 0.80 mg VSS/mg COD, while the q value was 0.0031; 0,0035; and 0.0033 mg COD/(mg VSS·hr). Based on the Monod approach, the μmax values were 0.0035 each; 0,0047; and 0.0045 hours⁻¹, while the Ks value is 239.23; 477,85; and 420 mg/L. K1 has the highest substrate affinity based on the lowest Ks value. Overall, K5 provides the best COD allowance, while K3 has the highest maximum growth potential.