Application of Immobilized Microorganism Technology for the Biotreatment of Eutrophic Water

Eutrophication not only affects the quality of water environment, but also destroys water ecological balance, which are hazardous to the environment and human health. The immobilized microorganism technology is the use of physical or chemical methods to confine free microbial cells within a spatial region. With this technology the free microbial cells can be protected from running water, can be recycled, and their biological activity can be maintained, and the pollutants can be effectively removed from water. Therefore, it is considered as an effective method to control eutrophication of water bodies. In this paper, the characteristics of immobilized microorganism technology and its application status in eutrophic water treatment were introduced. The selection and development of traditional and new immobilization carrier, the types of microorganisms that degrade and remove nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants, and the advantages and problems of existing immobilization methods (adsorption, entrapment, encapsulation, covalent binding, cross linking etc.) were reviewed. Some suggestions for future research and developing directions are proposed. This review can provide a reference for the application of immobilization technology to various types of wastewater biotreatment.