Potencialidade da utilização de tampinhas de garrafas em PEAD como meio suporte de biomassa de reatores MBBR tratando esgoto sanitário

Abstract

One of the pillars of Mobile Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) utilization is the use of support material for the immobilization of microbial biomass. However, commercially available conventional biological media are costly. Thus, the use of low-cost bio-media in these reactors emerges as a promising expectation for the widespread adoption of this technology. In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the potential of HDPE bottle caps as an alternative support material for microorganism adhesion in an MBBR reactor. In this context, HDPE bottle caps were characterized, and data were gathered from the literature. Using a caliper, the dimensions of the bottle caps, such as height, thickness, internal and external diameter, were obtained. Additionally, two one-liter graduated cylinders were used to measure the volume, and an analytical balance was used to determine the masses of the bottle caps. To obtain data on the characteristics of media used in the literature, the Scopus database was used, conducting a search with descriptors related to the topic of interest and applying Boolean operators. The characterization of the bottle caps resulted in an internal diameter of 2.8 cm, a volume of 2.3 cm³, a density of 0.9 g/cm³, and a specific surface area of 678 m²/m³. Furthermore, as a result of the data survey on biological media, a table was created with the characteristics of bio-media from selected works that were compatible with the topic. A comparison was also made between the bottle caps and the collected data, revealing that bottle caps are good, low-cost candidates for replacing conventional biological media.