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A Comparison of Membrane Bioreactor and Conventional‐Activated‐Sludge Mixed Liquor and Biosolids Characteristics
Author(s) -
Holbrook R. David,
Massie Kevin A.,
Novak John T.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.1002/j.1554-7531.2005.tb00291.x
Subject(s) - volatile suspended solids , biosolids , mixed liquor suspended solids , anaerobic digestion , dewatering , suspended solids , membrane bioreactor , chemistry , activated sludge , total dissolved solids , bioreactor , chemical oxygen demand , pulp and paper industry , total suspended solids , waste management , mesophile , environmental science , environmental engineering , sewage treatment , wastewater , methane , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology , bacteria , engineering , genetics
Characteristics and behavior of raw and digested mixed liquor derived from a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a full‐scale activated‐sludge (FSAS) facility were compared. The accumulation of nondegradable chemical oxygen demand in the MBR appears to play an important role in increasing the observed biological yield coefficient (Y obs ), reducing average floc size, decreasing total suspended solids/total solids and volatile suspended solids/volatile solids (VS) ratios, and reducing specific‐oxygen‐uptake rates of the mixed liquor relative to FSAS‐derived biological solids. Membrane bioreactor sludges exhibited lower VS destruction following 30 days mesophilic‐anaerobic and aerobic digestion when compared to FSAS sludges. Significant deterioration in dewatering behavior was observed for the FSAS biosolids after anaerobic digestion and, to a lesser extent, following aerobic digestion. In comparison, digestion had a small affect on dewatering efficiency and conditioner requirements for MBR biosolids. Full‐scale facilities using membrane separation may need to tailor digestion and dewatering processes to the specific characteristics of MBR sludges.