Biological performance and sludge filterability of anaerobic membrane bioreactors under nitrogen limited and supplied conditions

Recep Kaan Dereli; Xiaofei Wang; Frank P van der Zee; Jules B van Lier

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.015

Biological performance and sludge filterability of anaerobic membrane bioreactors under nitrogen limited and supplied conditions

Water Res. 2018 Jun 15:137:164-172. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.015. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

Authors

Recep Kaan Dereli¹, Xiaofei Wang², Frank P van der Zee³, Jules B van Lier⁴

Affiliations

¹ Istanbul Technical University, Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Watermanagement, Sanitary Engineering Section, Stevinweg 1, 2628, CN Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: derelir@itu.edu.tr.
² Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Departamento de Química, Lisbon, Portugal.
³ Veolia Water Technologies, Biothane Systems International, Tanthofdreef 21, 2600, GB Delft, The Netherlands.
⁴ Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Watermanagement, Sanitary Engineering Section, Stevinweg 1, 2628, CN Delft, The Netherlands.

PMID: 29549798
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.015

Abstract

The impact of nitrogen on biological performance and sludge filterability of anaerobic membrane bioreactors was investigated in two lab-scale cross-flow anaerobic membrane bioreactors that were fed with cheese whey at two different COD:TKN ratios (50 and 190). Nitrogen deprivation adversely affected the biological treatment performance and reactor stability, as indicated by volatile fatty acids accumulation. On the other hand, nitrogen (urea) supplementation resulted in a reduced sludge median particle size and decreased sludge filterability. Standard filterability parameters such as capillary suction time and specific resistance to filtration tended to rapidly increase in the nitrogen supplemented reactor. The critical fluxes in the nitrogen limited and supplemented reactors were 20 and 9 L m^-2 h^-1, respectively. The rapid deterioration of sludge filterability under nitrogen supplemented conditions was attributed to abundant growth of dispersed biomass. Thus, the COD:TKN ratio of wastewater affected both bioconversion and filterability performance in the anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

Keywords: Anaerobic membrane bioreactor; COD:TKN ratio; Cheese whey; Filterability; Nitrogen.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Biomass
Bioreactors*
Cheese
Fatty Acids, Volatile / analysis
Filtration / methods
Nitrogen / analysis*
Sewage / analysis*
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods
Whey

Substances

Fatty Acids, Volatile
Sewage
Nitrogen