Pilot-scale temperate-climate treatment of domestic wastewater with a staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR)

Bioresour Technol. 2014 May:159:95-103. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.02.060. Epub 2014 Feb 22.

Abstract

A pilot-scale staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR) was operated continuously for 485 days, without chemical cleaning of membranes, treating primary-settled domestic wastewater with wastewater temperature between 8 and 30°C and total hydraulic retention time (HRT) between 4.6 and 6.8h. Average chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) removals averaged 81% and 85%, respectively, during the first winter at 8-15°C before full acclimation had occurred. However, subsequently when fully acclimated, summer and winter COD removals of 94% and 90% and BOD5 removals of 98% and 90%, respectively, were obtained with average effluent COD never higher than 23 mg/L nor BOD5 higher than 9 mg/L. Operational energy requirement of 0.23 kW h/m(3) could be met with primary and secondary methane production, and could be reduced further through hydraulic change. Biosolids production in all seasons averaged 0.051 g volatile suspended solids per g COD removed.

Keywords: Anaerobic; Domestic wastewater; Energy; Fluidized-bed; Membrane bioreactor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Biofouling / prevention & control
  • Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
  • Biomass
  • Bioreactors / microbiology*
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Methane / metabolism
  • Organic Chemicals / isolation & purification
  • Pilot Projects
  • Pressure
  • Sewage / microbiology
  • Thermodynamics
  • Volatilization
  • Wastewater / chemistry*
  • Water Purification / instrumentation*
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Sewage
  • Waste Water
  • Methane