High retention membrane bioreactors: challenges and opportunities

Wenhai Luo; Faisal I Hai; William E Price; Wenshan Guo; Hao H Ngo; Kazuo Yamamoto; Long D Nghiem

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.06.016

High retention membrane bioreactors: challenges and opportunities

Bioresour Technol. 2014 Sep:167:539-46. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.06.016. Epub 2014 Jun 14.

Authors

Wenhai Luo¹, Faisal I Hai¹, William E Price², Wenshan Guo³, Hao H Ngo³, Kazuo Yamamoto⁴, Long D Nghiem⁵

Affiliations

¹ Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
² Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
³ Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
⁴ Environmental Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
⁵ Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. Electronic address: longn@uow.edu.au.

PMID: 24996563
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.06.016

Abstract

Extensive research has focussed on the development of novel high retention membrane bioreactor (HR-MBR) systems for wastewater reclamation in recent years. HR-MBR integrates high rejection membrane separation with conventional biological treatment in a single step. High rejection membrane separation processes currently used in HR-MBR applications include nanofiltration, forward osmosis, and membrane distillation. In these HR-MBR systems, organic contaminants can be effectively retained, prolonging their retention time in the bioreactor and thus enhancing their biodegradation. Therefore, HR-MBR can offer a reliable and elegant solution to produce high quality effluent. However, there are several technological challenges associated with the development of HR-MBR, including salinity build-up, low permeate flux, and membrane degradation. This paper provides a critical review on these challenges and potential opportunities of HR-MBR for wastewater treatment and water reclamation, and aims to guide and inform future research on HR-MBR for fast commercialisation of this innovative technology.

Keywords: Forward osmosis (FO); High retention membrane bioreactor; Membrane distillation (MD); Nanofiltration (NF); Trace organic chemicals (TrOCs).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Bioreactors*
Filtration
Membranes, Artificial*
Salinity
Water Purification

Substances

Membranes, Artificial