Low energy single-staged anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for wastewater treatment

Muhammad Aslam; Perry L McCarty; Chungheon Shin; Jaeho Bae; Jeonghwan Kim

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.017

Low energy single-staged anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for wastewater treatment

Bioresour Technol. 2017 Sep:240:33-41. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.017. Epub 2017 Mar 6.

Authors

Muhammad Aslam¹, Perry L McCarty², Chungheon Shin¹, Jaeho Bae¹, Jeonghwan Kim³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Inha University, Namgu, Inha-ro100, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Environmental Engineering, Inha University, Namgu, Inha-ro100, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA.
³ Department of Environmental Engineering, Inha University, Namgu, Inha-ro100, Incheon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jeonghwankim@inha.ac.kr.

PMID: 28341380
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.017

Abstract

An aluminum dioxide (Al₂O₃) ceramic membrane was used in a single-stage anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for low-strength wastewater treatment. The AFCMBR was operated continuously for 395days at 25°C using a synthetic wastewater having a chemical oxygen demand (COD) averaging 260mg/L. A membrane net flux as high as 14.5-17L/m²h was achieved with only periodic maintenance cleaning, obtained by adding 25mg/L of sodium hypochlorite solution. No adverse effect of the maintenance cleaning on organic removal was observed. An average SCOD in the membrane permeate of 23mg/L was achieved with a 1h hydraulic retention time (HRT). Biosolids production averaged 0.014±0.007gVSS/gCOD removed. The estimated electrical energy required to operate the AFCMBR system was 0.039kWh/m³_, which is only about 17% of the electrical energy that could be generated with the methane produced.

Keywords: Anaerobic fluidized-bed membrane bioreactor; Ceramic membrane; Energy; GAC scouring; Membrane fouling.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Bioreactors
Ceramics
Membranes, Artificial
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Wastewater*
Water Purification*

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
Waste Water