Linking nitrifying biofilm characteristics and nitrification performance in moving-bed biofilm reactors for polluted raw water pretreatment

- The MBBRs showed good performance for ammonia removal from polluted raw water.
- Biofilm compositions depended on the balance of decay and nitrification processes.
- Nitrification rate and biofilm activity linearly correlated with VS, PN and PL.
- Specific biofilm activity asymptotically correlated with the PN/VS and PL/VS.
- Ammonia loading regulated the nitrifying community structure in the MBBRs.