Combining submerged membrane technology with anaerobic and ...

Membrane fouling in an AnMBR treating industrial wastewater at high total solids concentrations7.5. Conclusions COD removal efficiency did not exhibit a significant improvement by increasingMLTS concentration, probably due to the complexity of industrial herbal extractionwastewaters. Maximun COD removals of 70 % were achieved only when alkalinity wasstabilized through sodium bicarbonate addition. Membrane fouling was seriously affected by the high MLTS concentration. Theformation of a dense cake layer that clogged the membrane governed foulingmechanisms. All the fouling parameters studies such as SRF, BPC, cBPC and TEPconcentrations were extremely high, compared with those previously reported. Theapplicability of cBPC and TEP concentration as a fouling indicator in AnMBR treatingindustrial wastewater was not as reliable as in aerobic MBRs due to its high values. PAC addition into the reactor was evaluated as a possible way to reducemembrane fouling, nevertheless no significant effect was observed regarding foulantsconcentration and sludge filterability. PAC addition would be beneficial for the system at lower MLTS concentrations,and even would be useful during shock load events as observed in fed-batch experiments. The combination of an UASB reactor with an aerobic MBR would be moreappropriate in order to enhance membrane flux and perhaps improve COD removalefficiency.7.6. ReferencesAkram, A., Stuckey, D.C. 2008. Flux and performance improvement in a submerged anaerobicmembrane bioreactor (SAMBR) using powdered activated carbon (PAC). ProcessBiochemistry 43, 93-102.APHA-AWWA-WPCF. 1998. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20 thed., American Public Health Association, Washington, USA.Arruda Fatibello, S.H.S., Henriques Vieira, A.A., Fatibello-Filho, O. 2004. A rapidspectrophotometric method for the determination of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) infreshwater. Talanta 62, 81–85.Barker DJ, Stuckey DC. 1999. A review of soluble microbial products (SMP) in wastewatertreatment systems. Water Research 33, 3063–82.Berubé, P.R., Hall, E.R., Sutton, P.M. 2006. Parameters Governing Permeate Flux in an AnaerobicMembrane Bioreactor Treating Low-Strength Municipal Wastewaters: A Literature Review.Water Environmental Research 78, 887-897.191