Integrating novel (thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor-TAMR) and conventional (conventional activated sludge-CAS) biological processes for the treatment of high strength aqueous wastes

Maria Cristina Collivignarelli; Alessandro Abbà; Giorgio Bertanza; Massimo Setti; Giacomo Barbieri; Andrea Frattarola

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.112

Integrating novel (thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor-TAMR) and conventional (conventional activated sludge-CAS) biological processes for the treatment of high strength aqueous wastes

Bioresour Technol. 2018 May:255:213-219. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.112. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Authors

Maria Cristina Collivignarelli¹, Alessandro Abbà², Giorgio Bertanza³, Massimo Setti⁴, Giacomo Barbieri³, Andrea Frattarola¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
² Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: abba78@unipv.it.
³ Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
⁴ Department of Earth and Environment Sciences, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy.

PMID: 29427872
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.112

Abstract

A combination of thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor (TAMR) and conventional activated sludge (CAS) was studied by means of two pilot plants at semi-industrial scale in order to simulate the new configuration adopted in a full-scale facility for the treatment of high strength aqueous wastes. Aqueous wastes with high contents of organic pollutants were treated by means of the TAMR technology, progressively increasing the organic load (3-12 kg_COD m^-3 d^-1). A mixture of municipal wastewater and thermophilic permeate was fed to the CAS plant. The main results are the following: achievement of a high COD removal yield by both the TAMR (78%) and the CAS (85%) plants; ammonification of the organic nitrogen under thermophilic conditions and subsequent mesophilic nitrification; capacity of the downstream mesophilic process to complete the degradation of the organic matter partially obtained by the TAMR process and precipitation of phosphorus as vivianite and carbonatehydroxylapatite in the TAMR plant.

Keywords: Biological treatment combination; Membrane biological reactor (MBR); Thermophilic processes.

MeSH terms

Biological Phenomena
Bioreactors*
Sewage*
Waste Disposal, Fluid*
Wastewater

Substances

Sewage
Waste Water