Title:Treatment of Tannery Wastewater Through the Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor
Volume: 18
Issue: 4
Author(s): Henrique Azevedo Rech*, Caroline Borges Agustini and Mariliz Gutterres Soares
Affiliation:
- Chemical Engineering Department, Laboratory for Leather and Environmental Studies (LACOURO), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Luiz Englert, Porto Alegre-RS,Brazil
Keywords:
Moving-bed biofilm reactor, tannery effluent, biocarriers, biofilms, wastewater, hydraulic retention time.
Abstract: The leather industry is an essential sector, especially in countries with highly developed
livestock as they use rawhide to produce high-valued leather products. The leather-making process
uses different chemicals and is a source of environmental pollution if the wastewater is not properly
treated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze a Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) as
a new technology for the biological treatment of tannery wastewater. This system incorporate benefits
provided by the suspended growth systems, which have already been consolidated in treating
wastewater, such as activated sludge and the advantage of growth adhered to biocarriers that have a
large surface area. Incorporating activated sludge into MBBR enables the removal of both organic
and nitrogen pollutants. Studies have shown that MBBR treatment efficiency depends on biocarrier
surface area, composition, texture, and reactor operating conditions, such as filling fraction, hydraulic
retention time, dissolved oxygen, and volumetric organic load.
