The small biochip with a big water-purifying heart

Plastic biomedia from MUTAG may look simple on the surface. Put in motion, they have the power to keep land-based fish farms healthy and clean.

Excellent water quality is vital to fish health and growth in a closed-loop production system, where even a low level of pollutants can have critical consequences. In the search for reliable filtration technology, a small plastic disc has proven to be a highly efficient solution.

Developed by Danish experts in biological wastewater treatment at MUTAG, the disc – or biochip – is the heart of a so-called moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) and can help eliminate pollutants in minutes. Today it is used in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) around the world.

Biomedia in motion

True to its name, the MBBR keeps the biochips in constant motion, enabling them to capture harmful pollutants from fish waste on their surface. Oxygen then catalyses the process that converts pollutants into non-toxic compounds, leaving the water biologically clean and ready for return to the fish tank.

Compared to the biomedia used in a conventional fixed bed bioreactor, the biochip’s surface area is five times greater – perfect for microbes to settle on

The porous structure of the MUTAG Biochip™ gives it a particularly large surface. This is the key to its efficiency. Compared to the biomedia used in a conventional fixed bed bioreactor, the biochip’s surface area is five times greater – perfect for microbes to settle on.

Savings in size and energy

Consequently, RAS water can be effectively cleaned using comparatively few biochips in an MBBR with a space-saving design. The accompanying reduction in energy consumption is a welcome advantage, cutting costs and improving the carbon footprint of fish production.

Due to their continuous movement in the bioreactor, the biochips are self-cleaning and rarely need to be replaced. According to MUTAG, many are still going strong after 15 years in the water.

A clean-water leader

Over several decades, MUTAG has built a strong international presence with exports to 65 markets. Here, land-based fish farms benefit both from the company’s water purification expertise and biomedia in virgin or recycled plastic.

MUTAG also provides solutions for the food and beverage sector, textile manufacturers and municipal water treatment. The vision is a world where clean water is accessible to all.