As a 'User' of the media that the Swedes ( sorry , couldn't resist)
are using in their TTs, and also as one who has experimented with Bacteria House in my towers for the past four years, I can tell you----- the media used by the clarity unit ( a sequencial biotower and foam fractionator) is FAR superior for TT/foam fractionation action than bacteria house.
I have used the same plastic media in biofilter activity since 1985. It is IDEAL for TT application. Not so good as a submerged media by the way.
But has two idea characteristics that BH and lava rocket definitely do not, and that is, viod space and non packing properties. This is KEY when it comes to non trapping nature of the media and also the creation of 'crashing and colliding zones within the overall media mass. This is what makes for foam as air and DOCs are mixed with one another binding the organic molecule to the bubble surface created by the turbulence. It is a physical way of thinng water sheets and having them impact the media as the water trickles over the media network. You simply can't get that from dense packed media.
JR