Integration and Industrial Application of Intensive, High-Efficiency, Low-Carbon Fluidized Biofilm Technology for Wastewater Treatment

As a key driver of ecological civilization and high-quality development, the eco‑environmental industry is facing an urgent need for transformation and upgrading. New, high‑quality productive forces in environmental protection are becoming the core engine propelling the sector’s advancement. This section will spotlight cutting‑edge technologies, advanced equipment, innovative materials, and emerging business models in the eco‑environmental field; it will vigorously promote scientific and technological breakthroughs, promptly announce awards recognizing progress in environmental technology, and provide comprehensive coverage of practical technologies, state‑of‑the‑art equipment, and exemplary projects. By guiding continuous innovation and accelerating the integration of digital, smart, and technological solutions, this initiative aims to contribute to a holistic green transition of the economy and society.

As a key driver of ecological civilization and high-quality development, the eco‑environmental industry is now facing an urgent need for transformation and upgrading. New, high‑quality productive forces in environmental protection are emerging as the core engine propelling the sector’s advancement. This section will spotlight cutting‑edge technologies, advanced equipment, innovative materials, and novel business models in the eco‑environmental field; it will vigorously promote scientific and technological breakthroughs, promptly announce awards recognizing progress in environmental technology, and provide comprehensive coverage of practical technologies, state‑of‑the‑art equipment, and exemplary projects. By doing so, it aims to foster sustained innovation, accelerate the integration of digital, smart, and technological solutions, and contribute to a holistic green transformation of the economy and society.

　　Environmental Technology Advancement Award

　　Project Title: Integrated and Industrialized Application of Intensive, Efficient, Low-Carbon Fluidized Biofilm Technology for Wastewater Treatment

　　Project Number: HJJS-2023-1-04

　　Award Level: First Prize

　　Completing Institutions: Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao Sprun Water Treatment Co., Ltd., and Qingdao Municipal Engineering Design Institute Co., Ltd.

　　Authors: Bi Xuejun, Liu Li, Wu Di, Zhou Xiaolin, Zhou Jiazhong, Wang Xiaodong, Han Wenjie, Meng Tao, Yang Fei, Fan Xing, Yang Zhongqi
 

　　Project Overview

　　The technological achievement “Integrated and Industrialized Application of Intensive, Efficient, Low-Carbon Fluidized Biofilm Technology for Wastewater Treatment” was developed over more than a decade of research and engineering practice, supported by national key water‑related programs and other science‑and‑technology initiatives. Through theoretical and methodological studies as well as targeted technological breakthroughs, this work has yielded systematic innovations in core technology frameworks, critical equipment, and novel materials and approaches. It has broken the international monopoly on essential wastewater‑treatment technologies and resolved numerous bottleneck challenges inherent in conventional treatment methods.

　　In terms of innovation in core technological systems, the company has pioneered and developed, both domestically and internationally, a fluidized biofilm–magnetic coagulation–based wastewater treatment technology for achieving stringent discharge standards, with nitrogen and phosphorus removal, while reducing land use by 70%.

　　An innovative approach was proposed for the targeted regulation of specialized functional microbial communities and a multi‑stage, multi‑section fluidized biofilm process for highly efficient biological nitrogen removal, enabling the directed and efficient enrichment of nitrogen‑removal‑related microbial populations. As a result, the system’s volumetric nitrogen removal capacity was increased by 100% to 200% compared with conventional denitrification processes.

　　An innovative multi-pathway denitrification process has been proposed, integrating hydraulic shear, gradient-based oxygen limitation, and stratified distribution to achieve anaerobic ammonium oxidation–simultaneous nitrification–denitrification–heterotrophic denitrification. Under comparable treatment conditions, this approach reduces treatment costs by more than RMB 0.2 per cubic meter compared with the MBR process and cuts specific energy consumption by 50%.

　　An innovative magnetic‑loading–based high‑efficiency separation method was proposed, leveraging the highly dispersed nature of detached biofilms, achieving more than a 50% improvement over existing magnetic separation technologies. In terms of key technological equipment innovation, an energy‑efficient fluidization approach for biofilm carriers under high‑density packing was introduced, reducing energy consumption by up to 75% compared with comparable mixing techniques both domestically and internationally.

　　An innovative persistent fluidized biofilm carrier interception technology has been developed, along with a non‑stop‑water construction method and a structured prefabricated interception system. These advancements significantly reduce wear on the biofilm carriers and interception screen equipment, while enabling operations to be carried out under water. As a result, the construction period for renovation projects is shortened by more than 50%, and that for new projects is less than 60 days.

　　We have developed cutting-edge specialized magnetic separators for magnetic powder recovery, along with high-speed shearing machines and other key process equipment. These innovations achieve a magnetic powder recovery rate exceeding 99%, representing a 3%–5% improvement over conventional magnetic separation methods, while reducing equipment failure rates by 20%.

　　In the realm of innovative materials‑based approaches: a novel method for characterizing biofilm carrier performance has been developed, relevant industry standards have been established, and a design framework centered on surface loading and effective specific surface area has been proposed.

　　An effective fluidized biofilm carrier with a specific surface area exceeding 800 m²/m³ has been developed, and an industrial-scale, fully automated production line has been established, achieving an annual production capacity of 240 million m². This has enabled large-scale deployment, with a treatment capacity of 17 million m² per day.

　　An innovative integrated control technology and algorithmic model based on “feedforward + model + feedback” has been proposed, and an AI‑driven optimization framework along with a cloud‑based control platform have been developed, thereby enhancing the level of automated operation.

　　This technological achievement has been granted 18 invention patents (including one international patent), 7 utility model patents, and 2 design patents; it also holds 5 software copyrights and has resulted in the publication of one standard. Additionally, 23 papers have been published, including 8 indexed in SCI. The technology has been successfully applied to new, renovated, and expanded projects involving municipal wastewater treatment, high-ammonia‑nitrogen industrial water treatment, and low‑concentration river‑water treatment. To date, 25 projects have been completed in Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and other regions, with a total treatment capacity of 4.2 million tons per day and cumulative sales of RMB 662 million over the past three years.
 

　　Acceptance Speech

　　China’s ecological civilization construction has entered a critical phase—characterized by prioritizing carbon reduction as a strategic priority, promoting synergistic efficiency in pollution control and carbon reduction, advancing a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and achieving a qualitative leap in environmental quality. In line with the high‑quality development imperative of “conservation and intensive use, green and low‑carbon,” developing intensive, efficient, green, and low‑carbon wastewater treatment technologies has become both a pressing need of our times and a new goal and pathway for wastewater treatment in the new era. Over more than a decade of research and engineering practice, our project team has achieved systematic innovation across core technological systems, key equipment, and novel materials and methods, breaking international monopolies on critical wastewater‑treatment technologies and resolving numerous “bottleneck” challenges inherent in conventional approaches. These technological advances align with the principles of green development: they promote “conservation and intensive use” of land in wastewater‑treatment facilities, helping to alleviate the growing pressure of land scarcity amid rapid urban expansion; and they enhance the synergistic efficiency of pollution control and carbon reduction, elevate the standards of environmental infrastructure, drive technological progress within the sector, and foster green, low‑carbon, high‑quality development.