PVA-Gel Bioreactor

Characteristics

  • Excellent fluidity in water requiring minimal energy for mixing.
  • PVA gel has a network of minute pores about 20 microns in diameter tunneling throughout each bead.
    Photograph of PVA-gel surface taken with an electron microscope
    • Effective bacteria can be enriched in large numbers in the protective core of the beads, thus
      greatly reducing sloughing of biomass
    • while maintaining stable treatment efficiencies.
      Good oxygen permeability can support a high loading.
      Therefore even with a low filling ratio PVA gel has high treatment power.
      【Load】
      Up to 50 kg・BOD/㎥・gel・d (BOD removal)
      6 kg・N/㎥・gel・d (nitrogen removal)
  • Treatment with PVA gel yields less excess sludge as compared to conventional biological methods.
  • PVA gel has a very high water content due to its extensive porosity, thus allowing for favorable permeability of oxygen and nutrients to the bacteria colonized inside the beads.
  • Polymerized PVA gel is essentially insoluble in water and is not know to be biodegradable.
  • Depending on the characteristics of the wastewater, treatment ability using PVA gel can be enhanced up to 5 times over that of conventional activated sludge, thus allowing for upgrading of existing overloaded systems or for design of new process units with greatly reduced foot prints.

Appearance

Material : PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol)
One PVA-gel bead can hold up to 1 billion microorganisms. *
(* depending on operating conditions)

  • Before use
  • After one month

Distribution of Bacteria

Fluorescence in situ hybridization
(FISH) method

Bacteria multiply toward the core of PVA-gel beads.

  • Surface
  • 1 mm from surface
  • Center portion

Anammox bacteria attached in a gel bead

  • Anammox bacteria
  • Magnified view

Nitrification bacteria attached in a gel bead

  • Nitrification bacteria
  • Magnified view

Denitrifying bacteria attached in a gel bead

  • Denitrifying bacteria
  • Magnified view
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