Using support media to assist in the growth of purifying micro-organisms is a technique which has attracted renewed interest in recent years. The advantages of biofilm reactors - smaller than traditional reactors, often not requiring settlers, etc - have motivated research into the fundamentals of biofilms and vigorous development programmes for reactors, leading to the successful introduction of large-scale plant. In this volume forty-two papers from over a dozen countries offer authoritative accounts by international experts of the latest research results plus detailed descriptions of full-scale case studies. This book will be of value to scientists, development and design engineers and plant managers who need thorough and unbiased knowledge of one of the most modern and effective techniques of biological water treatment.

Recent Trends in Biofilm Science and Technology helps researchers working on fundamental aspects of biofilm formation and control conduct biofilm studies and interpret results. The book provides a remarkable amount of knowledge on the processes that regulate biofilm formation, the methods used, monitoring characterization and mathematical modeling, the problems/advantages caused by their presence in the food industry, environment and medical fields, and the current and emergent strategies for their control. Research on biofilms has progressed rapidly in the last decade due to the fact that biofilms have required the development of new analytical tools and new collaborations between biologists, engineers and mathematicians. - Presents an overview of the process of biofilm formation and its implications - Provides a clearer understanding of the role of biofilms in infections - Creates a foundation for further research on novel control strategies - Updates readers on the remarkable amount of knowledge on the processes that regulate biofilm formation

Proceedings of the 11th International Conference held in Cairo, Assuan, and Luxor, Egypt, September 10-17, 1997

Activated Sludge and Aerobic Biofilm Reactors is the fifth volume in the series Biological Wastewater Treatment. The first part of the book is devoted to the activated sludge process, covering the removal of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus.A detailed analysis of the biological reactor (aeration tank) and the final sedimentation tanks is provided. The second part of the book covers aerobic biofilm reactors, especially trickling filters, rotating biological contractors and submerged aerated biofilters. For all the systems, the book presents in a clear and informative way the main concepts, working principles, expected removal efficiencies, design criteria, design examples, construction aspects and operational guidelines. About the series: The series is based on a highly acclaimed set of best selling textbooks. This international version is comprised by six textbooks giving a state-of-the-art presentation of the science and technology of biological wastewater treatment. Other titles in the series are: Volume 1: Waste Stabilisation Ponds; Volume 2: Basic Principles of Wastewater Treatment; Volume 3: Waste Stabilization Ponds; Volume 4: Anaerobic Reactors; Volume 6: Sludge Treatment and Disposal

Our rivers and lakes are continuously self-purifying thanks to algal and bacterial biofilms that grow over the surface of stones and other debris. This same process has been employed for over a century to treat our municipal and industrial wastewater in specially designed fixed film reactors that maximize this microbial activity by providing ideal growth conditions and unlimited food and oxygen. Fixed film, or attached biofilm, reactors are unique in their ability to treat complex wastewaters and shock loadings; using far less energy than other wastewater treatment processes such as activated sludge, making them a sustainable treatment option.Targeted at undergraduate and postgraduate engineers and scientists, this book follows the structure of bestseller Biology of Wastewater Treatment. This volume gives an expanded and up-to-date overview of the use of fixed-film reactors in wastewater treatment with content spanning from biofilm formation, to traditional trickling filters and rotating biological contactor technology, advanced submerged systems (including MBBRs and IFAS) and their key role in the treatment of contaminated air, and finally to nitrogen removal employing new microbial pathways such as Anammox. This monograph emphasizes the biological aspects of the processes.

In nature, microorganisms are generally found attached to surfaces as biofilms such as dust, insects, plants, animals and rocks, rather than suspended in solution. Once a biofilm is developed, other microorganisms are free to attach and benefit from this microbial community. The food industry, which has a rich supply of nutrients, solid surfaces, and raw materials constantly entering and moving through the facility, is an ideal environment for biofilm development, which can potentially protect food pathogens from sanitizers and result in the spread of foodborne illness. Biofilms in the Food Environment is designed to provide researchers in academia, federal research labs, and industry with an understanding of the impact, control, and hurdles of biofilms in the food environment. Key to biofilm control is an understanding of its development. The goal of this 2nd edition is to expand and complement the topics presented in the original book. Readers will find: The first comprehensive review of biofilm development by Campylobacter jejuni An up-date on the resistance of Listeria monocytogenes to sanitizing agents, which continues to be a major concern to the food industry An account of biofilms associated with various food groups such as dairy, meat, vegetables and fruit is of global concern A description of two novel methods to control biofilms in the food environment: bio-nanoparticle technology and bacteriophage Biofilms are not always a problem: sometimes they even desirable. In the human gut they are essential to our survival and provide access to some key nutrients from the food we consume. The authors provide up-date information on the use of biofilms for the production of value-added products via microbial fermentations. Biofilms cannot be ignored when addressing a foodborne outbreak. All the authors for each chapter are experts in their field of research. The Editors hope is that this second edition will provide the bases and understanding for much needed future research in the critical area of Biofilm in Food Environment.

Biofilms represent the natural living style of microbial communities and play a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycles and natural attenuation. Biofilms can be engineered for biodegradation and biotransformation of organic and inorganic contaminants, for both in situ bioremediation and ex situ treatment in bioreactors. This book focuses on microbial biofilms and their potential technological applications for sustainable development. It covers recent advances in biofilm technologies for contaminant remediation coupled to recovery of resources and serves as a complete reference on the science and technology behind biofilm mediated bioremediation and wastewater treatment.

The latest Methods for Wastewater Treatment Using Fixed-Film Processes This Water Environment Federation resource provides complete coverage of pure fixed-film and hybrid treatment systems, along with details on their design, performance, and operational issues. Biofilm Reactors discusses factors that affect the design of the various processes, appropriate design criteria and procedures, modeling techniques, equipment requirements, and construction methods. Operational issues associated with each type of process are presented, including potential problems and corrective actions. Real-world case studies illustrate the application of the technologies presented in this authoritative volume. Biofilm Reactors covers: Biology of fixed-film processes Trickling filter and combined trickling filter suspended-growth process design and operation Rotating biological contactors Moving-bed biofilm reactors Hybrid processes Biological filters New and emerging fixed-film technologies Clarification Effluent filtration Development and application of models for integrated fixed-film activated sludge, moving-bed reactors, biological aerated filters, and trickling filters

The central theme of the book is the flow of information from experimental approaches in biofilm research to simulation and modeling of complex wastewater systems. Probably the greatest challenge in wastewater research lies in using the methods and the results obtained in one scientific discipline to design intelligent experiments in other disciplines, and eventually to improve the knowledge base the practitioner needs to run wastewater treatment plants. The purpose of Biofilms in Wastewater Treatment is to provide engineers with the knowledge needed to apply the new insights gained by researchers. The authors provide an authoritative insight into the function of biofilms on a technical and on a lab-scale, cover some of the exciting new basic microbiological and wastewater engineering research involving molecular biology techniques and microscopy, and discuss recent attempts to predict the development of biofilms. This book is divided into 3 sections: Modeling and Simulation; Architecture, Population Structure and Function; and From Fundamentals to Practical Application, which all start with a scientific question. Individual chapters attempt to answer the question and present different angles of looking at problems. In addition there is an extensive glossary to familiarize the non-expert with unfamiliar terminology used by microbiologists and computational scientists. The colour plate section of this book can be downloaded by clicking here. (PDF Format 1 MB)