Investigation on start-up and operation of an anaerobic attached microbial film expanded bed with ceramisites as biofilm carrier

Anaerobic biofilm particles with high activity were developed by the immobilized method of carrier adsorption. The start-up and operation of the reactor, the processing characteristics and the sludge characteristics were investigated. The feasibility of granular sludge replaced by biofilm particles was discussed to resolve the shortage of granular sludge in China. The equipment was applied an anaerobic attached microbial film expanded bed, whose influent was artificial and whose bare carrier was ceramic media with a wet superficial density of 1 310 kg·m^-3 and an averaged meter of 0.32 mm. The results showed that start-up of the reactor was successful only in 24 d, the COD volumetric loading rate (OLR) was up to 18 kg·m^-3·d^-1 and the COD removal efficiency was 70%~80%.