MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN A HYBRID ACTIVATED SLUDGE BIOFILM REACTOR: A PILOT PLANT EXPERIENCE

A hybrid activated sludge/biofilm process (IFAS) was investigated. This process which contains both suspended and attached biomass, is created by introducing plastic elements as biofilm carriers material into a classical activated sludge system. This process is suitable for upgrading existing activated sludge wastewater treatment plants which are no longer able to comply with the effluent standards, and in particular in those cases where the existing plant does not nitrify or only nitrify during summer. However, the IFAS processes are relatively new and there are still uncertainties with respect to their design. A main task is to find a rational approach to the design of nitrification in hy…