Solid-liquid partitioning bioreactors for industrial wastewater treatment

In two-phase solid-liquid partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs), inexpensive and inert commercial polymers are used to replace immiscible organic solvents to absorb and release toxic organic molecules for degradation by mixed populations. In such systems, the polymers act exactly as does an organic solvent, with uptake/release occurring via absorption, and reduced aqueous contaminant levels arising from the maintenance of a thermodynamic equilibrium between the aqueous and polymer phases. The use of commercial, non-volatile, non-flammable, biocompatible and easily-shaped polymers as the sequestering phase is a step forward in the development of "green", solvent-free bio-treatment strategies. In this chapter, the principle of operation, applications and demonstrated results of solid-liquid TPPBs operated with polymeric sequestering phases are reported for biological industrial wastewater treatment.