MBBR vs. MBR: A Comparative Analysis

By: Kate Chen
Email: [email protected]
Date: Nov 08th, 2024

Both MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) and MBR (Membrane Bioreactor) are advanced wastewater treatment technologies, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Let's delve into the key differences:

MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor)

Principle: Utilizes a bed of plastic media carriers suspended in the reactor. Microorganisms attach to the surface of these carriers, forming biofilms.
Process: Wastewater flows through the reactor, and the suspended carriers provide a large surface area for microbial growth and activity.
Advantages:
High treatment efficiency, especially for organic matter removal and nitrogen removal.
Compact design, requiring less space than conventional activated sludge systems.
Robustness and resistance to shock loads.
Low sludge production.
Disadvantages:
Potential for biofilm detachment and clogging.
Requires careful control of aeration and carrier circulation.

MBR (Membrane Bioreactor)

Principle: Combines biological treatment with membrane filtration.
Process: Wastewater is treated biologically in a reactor, and then the effluent is passed through a membrane to remove suspended solids and microorganisms.
Advantages:
High-quality effluent, often exceeding regulatory standards.
Compact design, requiring less space than conventional activated sludge systems.
Low sludge production.
Flexibility in operation, allowing for variations in flow rate and load.
Disadvantages:
Higher capital and operational costs due to membrane replacement and cleaning.
Potential for membrane fouling, which can reduce efficiency and increase maintenance requirements.

Feature	MBBR	MBR
Solid-Liquid Separation	Gravity settling	Membrane filtration
Sludge Production	Low	Very low
Energy Consumption	Moderate	Higher
Maintenance	Moderate	Higher (membrane cleaning)
Effluent Quality	High	Very high
Space Requirement	Compact	Compact
Resistance to Shock Loads	High	Moderate
Cost	Lower capital cost, higher operational cost	Higher capital cost, lower operational cost

More in deep compare:

Treatment efficiency - MBBR VS MBR
Organic matter removal: Both have high removal rates for organic matter such as COD (chemical oxygen demand), BOD (biological oxygen demand), and ammonia nitrogen.
TN (total nitrogen) removal: MBBR has a better removal effect on TN, while MBR itself has no removal effect on TN and can only rely on the front-end biological method for removal.
TP (total phosphorus) removal: Both need to rely on front-end chemical phosphorus removal for TP removal.
SS (suspended solids) removal: MBR membrane can remove SS well, while MBBR has no removal effect on SS and needs to rely on the back-end ultrafiltration membrane process to remove SS.

Scope of application - MBBR VS MBR
MBBR: MBBR system is suitable for treating various types of wastewater, including domestic sewage and industrial wastewater. Due to its efficient treatment capacity and small footprint, MBBR performs well in treating high-concentration organic wastewater.
MBR: MBR process is suitable for the treatment of domestic sewage and similar industrial organic wastewater in residential areas, office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, etc., such as textile, beer, papermaking, leather, food, chemical and other industries. The MBR process can efficiently separate solids and liquids to obtain stable reclaimed water for direct use, with good effluent quality and small footprint.