Innovative encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membrane bioreactor (ESFDMBR) for efficient wastewater treatment and fouling control

Fabiano Castrogiovanni; Laura Borea; Mary Vermi Aizza Corpuz; Antonio Buonerba; Giovanni Vigliotta; Florencio Jr Ballesteros; Shadi W Hasan; Vincenzo Belgiorno; Vincenzo Naddeo

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150296

Innovative encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membrane bioreactor (ESFDMBR) for efficient wastewater treatment and fouling control

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jan 20:805:150296. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150296. Epub 2021 Sep 11.

Authors

Fabiano Castrogiovanni¹, Laura Borea², Mary Vermi Aizza Corpuz³, Antonio Buonerba⁴, Giovanni Vigliotta⁵, Florencio Jr Ballesteros⁶, Shadi W Hasan⁷, Vincenzo Belgiorno⁸, Vincenzo Naddeo⁹

Affiliations

¹ Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy. Electronic address: fcastrogiovanni@unisa.it.
² Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy. Electronic address: lborea@unisa.it.
³ Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Electronic address: mamorales1@up.edu.ph.
⁴ Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy; Sponge s.r.l., Corporate Spin-off of University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, SA, Italy. Electronic address: abuonerba@unisa.it.
⁵ Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy. Electronic address: gvigliotta@unisa.it.
⁶ Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Electronic address: fcballesteros@up.edu.ph.
⁷ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: shadi.hasan@ku.ac.ae.
⁸ Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy. Electronic address: v.belgiorno@unisa.it.
⁹ Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, Italy. Electronic address: vnaddeo@unisa.it.

PMID: 34536877
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150296

Abstract

The concept of a novel living encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membranes (ESFDM) for an innovative wastewater treatment in membrane bioreactor (MBR) is presented in the current study. The active filtering membrane is encapsulated, and thus stabilized, between two support meshes with pore in micrometer size. The combination of activated sludge, the ESFDM and the cake layer formed external to the filtering module contributed to the treatment of municipal wastewater. COD concentration reductions (average value of 95.55 ± 1.44%) by ESFDM bioreactor (ESFDMBR) were comparable to those obtained with a previously reported membrane bioreactor (MBR), where a conventional membrane was studied under the same operating conditions. The ESFDMBR, compared to the conventional MBR, obtained higher reductions of NH₃-N, NO₃^-N and PO₄^3-P concentrations. Increased removals of nitrogen-containing nutrients were ascribed to anoxic conditions reached in the ESFDM layer protected from the aeration by the external cake layer. Rate of increase of transmembrane pressure (TMP) per day in the ESFDMBR (0.03 kPa/day) was lower than the value obtained in the previously reported conventional MBR (8.08 kPa/day). Lower concentrations of fouling precursors in combination with the effective filtration capacity of the porous living ESFDM resulted in the reduction of the fouling rate. Analysis of microbiological community revealed that the microbial community structures in the mixed liquor and ESFDM were different. The ESFDM layer promoted growth of bacteria as indicated by the higher total cell count and higher microbial diversity compared to those observed in the mixed liquor.

Keywords: Biofilm; Dynamic membrane; Membrane bioreactor; Membrane fouling; Microbial community; Turbidity.

MeSH terms

Bioreactors
Membranes, Artificial*
Sewage
Wastewater
Water Purification*

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
Sewage
Waste Water