Removal of pharmaceuticals and organic matter from municipal wastewater using two-stage anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor

Bioresour Technol. 2014 Aug:165:42-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.03.054. Epub 2014 Mar 21.

Abstract

The aim of present study was to treat municipal wastewater in two-stage anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR) (anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) followed by AFMBR) using granular activated carbon (GAC) as carrier medium in both stages. Approximately 95% COD removal efficiency could be obtained when the two-stage AFMBR was operated at total HRT of 5h (2h for AFBR and 3h for AFMBR) and influent COD concentration of 250mg/L. About 67% COD and 99% TSS removal efficiency could be achieved by the system treating the effluent from primary clarifier of municipal wastewater treatment plant, at HRT of 1.28h and OLR of 5.65kg COD/m(3)d. The system could also effectively remove twenty detected pharmaceuticals in raw wastewaters with removal efficiency in the range of 86-100% except for diclofenac (78%). No other membrane fouling control was required except scouring effect of GAC for flux of 16LMH.

Keywords: Anaerobic; Fluidized bed reactor; Membrane bioreactor; Pharmaceuticals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
  • Bioreactors*
  • Cities*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Organic Chemicals / isolation & purification*
  • Oxygen / metabolism
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / isolation & purification*
  • Pressure
  • Sewage / microbiology
  • Taiwan
  • Temperature
  • Wastewater / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification
  • Water Purification / instrumentation*

Substances

  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Sewage
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Oxygen