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Aerobic and Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors for Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Author(s) -
Baek Seung H.,
Pagilla Krishna R.
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.2175/106143005x89599
Subject(s) - membrane bioreactor , effluent , wastewater , bioreactor , aeration , anaerobic exercise , chemical oxygen demand , microfiltration , hydraulic retention time , pulp and paper industry , chemistry , sewage treatment , nitrification , environmental science , environmental engineering , waste management , membrane , nitrogen , biology , engineering , physiology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
An aerobic bioreactor and an anaerobic bioreactor, each coupled with a microfiltration membrane filter (MBR), were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) with primary effluent from the City of Elmhurst, Illinois, municipal‐wastewater‐treatment plant. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performance of the anaerobic MBR system was similar to that of the aerobic MBR under the same operational conditions, without the added cost of aeration. The results indicated that the solids deposition rate on the membrane surface was lower in the case of anaerobic MBR compared to the aerobic MBR, indicating possible lower loss in water‐flux rates. This research found that an anaerobic MBR is a feasible and economical option for municipal‐wastewater‐treatment plants seeking COD removal by a biological process followed by a separate nitrification and denitrification system.