Oxygen Utilization of Trickling Filter Biofilms

In-situ oxygen consumption rate (OCR) observations for trickling filter biofilms under different hydraulic, substrate loading, and oxygen availability operating conditions are presented. OCRs were determined for sucrose- and dextrin-based synthetic feedstocks by growing biofilms on a 1.2-m deep section of 60° cross-flow media that was enclosed within a reactor vessel, sealing the reactor vessel to outside air entry, and observing the time rate of decrease in the reactor’s oxygen partial pressure. The results indicate that OCRs increased proportionately with increasing influent substrate concentrations for the 40 to 120 mg/L SCOD range, increased slightly or remained relatively constant with increasing influent substrate concentrations for the 120 to 200 mg/L SCOD range, increased slightly with increasing DO saturation condition for the 7.4 to 10.1 mg/L range, were affected by oxygen availability for influent substrate concentrations throughout the 70 to 175 mg/L SCOD range, increased with increasing hydraulic application rate from 2.4 to 4.9 m³/m²-h, and were slightly greater than predicted by currently acknowledged models. Other observations include the following measured OCRs were at least three times greater than those estimated from clean media oxygen-transfer testing; without liquid and feedstock application, biofilms consumed oxygen at 80–104% of their usual rate; and maximum biofilm oxygen consumption was ≈680 mg/m²-h.