A review on biofilm-based reactors for wastewater treatment: Recent advancements in biofilm carriers, kinetics, reactors, economics, and future perspectives

Industrialization plays an important role in the growth of a nation. But it is also added to the deteriorating condition of our ecosystem. Pollution, be it aquatic, terrestrial, or airborne, has affected our environment drastically and the surge of industries and growing population plays a major role in it. Innumerable basic and advanced techniques degrade the contaminants in wastewater. Most of these techniques are efficient but have several drawbacks too. The biological technique is one such viable approach in which there are no eminent downsides. This article presents a brief investi-gation of the biological treatment of wastewater, namely biofilm technology. Recently biofilm treatment technology has garnered a lot of attention due to its efficiency, inexpensiveness, and ease of incorporation into various conven-tional treatment techniques. A succinct analysis is provided about the mechanism of biofilm formation and its applica-tion in various systems in fixed, suspended, or submerged conditions. Details of the application of biofilm technology in lab-scale and pilot-scale treatment of industrial effluents are also discussed. This study is crucial to understand the competency of biofilms and to utilize the idea for further development of the technology for better management of wastewater. Pollutants such as BOD, COD can be removed up to 98 % with the help of Biofilm reactor technologies, making it one of the most efficient systems for wastewater treatment.

Automated summary

Industrialization plays a significant role in a nation's growth, but it also contributes to environmental degradation. Pollution, including aquatic, terrestrial, and airborne pollution, has a profound impact on the environment, and the increase in industries and population exacerbates this issue. The biological technique, specifically biofilm technology, is an efficient and viable approach without major downsides.