Biomass viability: An experimental study and the development of an empirical mathematical model for submerged membrane bioreactor

M F R Zuthi; H H Ngo; W S Guo; L D Nghiem; F I Hai; S Q Xia; Z Q Zhang; J X Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.104

Biomass viability: An experimental study and the development of an empirical mathematical model for submerged membrane bioreactor

Bioresour Technol. 2015 Aug:190:352-8. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.104. Epub 2015 May 1.

Authors

M F R Zuthi¹, H H Ngo², W S Guo¹, L D Nghiem³, F I Hai³, S Q Xia⁴, Z Q Zhang⁴, J X Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
² Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: h.ngo@uts.edu.au.
³ Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
⁴ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Hollow Fiber Membrane Materials and Processes, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300387, PR China.

PMID: 25965952
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.104

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of key biomass parameters on specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) in a sponge submerged membrane bioreactor (SSMBR) to develop mathematical models of biomass viability. Extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS) were considered as a lumped parameter of bound EPS (bEPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP). Statistical analyses of experimental results indicate that the bEPS, SMP, mixed liquor suspended solids and volatile suspended solids (MLSS and MLVSS) have functional relationships with SOUR and their relative influence on SOUR was in the order of EPS>bEPS>SMP>MLVSS/MLSS. Based on correlations among biomass parameters and SOUR, two independent empirical models of biomass viability were developed. The models were validated using results of the SSMBR. However, further validation of the models for different operating conditions is suggested.

Keywords: Biomass viability; Bound extracellular polymeric substances; Membrane bioreactor; Soluble microbial products; Specific oxygen uptake rate.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena*
Biomass
Bioreactors / microbiology*
Cell Proliferation / physiology
Cell Survival / physiology*
Computer Simulation
Computer-Aided Design
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Membranes, Artificial*
Models, Biological*
Models, Statistical
Oxygen / metabolism*
Oxygen Consumption / physiology

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
Oxygen