Characteristics of a Methanotrophic Culture in a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor

The membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) shows considerable potential as a bioprocess that can exploit methanotrophic biodegradation and offers several advantages over both conventional biofilm reactors and suspended-cell processes. This work seeks primarily to investigate the oxidation efficiency in a methanotrophic MABR. A mixed methanotrophic biofilm was immobilized on an oxygen-permeable silicone membrane in a single tube hollow fiber configuration. Under the conditions used the maximum oxygen uptake rate reached values of 16 g/m2·d, and the rate of biofilm growth achieved was 300 (mu)m/d. Both indicators reflect a very high metabolic rate. It was shown that the biofilm was predominantly in a dual-substrate limitation regime but below about 250 (mu)m was fully penetrated by both substrates. Oxygen limitation was not observed. Analysis indicated that microbial activity stratification was evident and the location of stratified layers of oxygen-consuming components of the consortium could be manipulated via the intramembrane oxygen pressure. The results confirm that an MABR can be employed to minimize substrate diffusion limitations in thick biofilms.