Membrane fouling mitigation by NaClO-assisted backwash in anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors for the treatment of domestic wastewater.

In this study, the NaClO-assisted backwash was used to mitigate membrane fouling in anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors (AnCMBRs) treating domestic wastewater. Four NaClO concentrations (Cbackwash) - 0.05, 0.25, 1 and 10 mg/L were used for backwash. In general, the effectiveness of NaClO-assisted backwash is the balance of two forces - foulants removal from membranes (i.e., the direct effect) and modification of mixed liquor (i.e., the indirect effect). With increased Cbackwash, the direct effect of NaClO was enhanced through removal of more proteins. The indirect effect of NaClO was more complicated. The biodegradability of organics in the wastewater and the microbial activities of biomass were improved with low Cbackwash. However, high Cbackwash deteriorated cell metabolism and led to excessive production of cell lytic products. Optimal Cbackwash that was used in this study - the Cbackwash that provided the best fouling mitigation and acceptable treatment performances - was 1 mg/L.

Treatment of domestic wastewater with an anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactor (AnCMBR).

In this study, a ceramic membrane with a pore size of 80 nm was incorporated into an anaerobic membrane bioreactor for excellent stability and integrity. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies by biodegradation reached 78.6 ± 6.0% with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) of 12.8 ± 1.2 g/L. Even though the total methane generated was 0.3 ± 0.03 L/g CODutilized, around 67.4% of it dissolved in permeate and was lost beyond collection. As a result, dissolved methane was 2.7 times of the theoretical saturating concentration calculated from Henry's law. When transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the ceramic membrane reached 30 kPa after 25.3 d, 95.2% of the total resistance was attributed to the cake layer, which made it the major contributor to membrane fouling. Compared to the mixed liquor, cake layer was rich in colloids and soluble products that could bind the solids to form a dense cake layer. The Methanosarcinaceae family preferred to attach to the ceramic membranes.

Effects of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) on membrane fouling in anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors (AnCMBRs) treating domestic wastewater.

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) have been regarded as a potential solution to achieve energy neutrality in the future wastewater treatment plants. Coupling ceramic membranes into AnMBRs offers great potential as ceramic membranes are resistant to corrosive chemicals such as cleaning reagents and harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature. In this study, ceramic membranes with pore sizes of 80, 200 and 300 nm were individually mounted in three anaerobic ceramic membrane bioreactors (AnCMBRs) treating real domestic wastewater to examine the treatment efficiencies and to elucidate the effects of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) on fouling behaviours. The average overall chemical oxygen demands (COD) removal efficiencies could reach around 86-88%. Although CH4 productions were around 0.3 L/g CODutilised, about 67% of CH4 generated was dissolved in the liquid phase and lost in the permeate. When filtering mixed liquor of similar properties, smaller pore-sized membranes fouled slower in long-term operations due to lower occurrence of pore blockages. However, total organic removal efficiencies could not explain the fouling behaviours. Liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection, fluorescence spectrophotometer and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence and ultra-violet detectors were used to analyse the DOMs in detail. The major foulants were identified to be biopolymers that were produced in microbial activities. One of the main components of biopolymers--proteins--led to different fouling behaviours. It is postulated that the proteins could pass through porous cake layers to create pore blockages in membranes. Hence, concentrations of the DOMs in the soluble fraction of mixed liquor (SML) could not predict membrane fouling because different components in the DOMs might have different interactions with membranes.

Bioelectrochemical treatment of acid mine drainage dominated with iron.

Treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) dominated with iron (Fe), the most common metal, is a long-term expensive commitment, the goal of which is to increase the pH and remove Fe. In the present study, a proton exchange membrane microbial fuel cell (MFC) showed promise for the efficient treatment of an AMD dominated with ferric iron (pH 2.4±0.1; 500 mg L(-1) Fe(3+)). Briefly, Fe(3+) was reduced to Fe(2+) at the cathode of the MFC, followed by Fe(2+) re-oxidation and precipitation as oxy(hydroxi)des. Oxygen reduction and cation transfer to the cathode of the MFC further caused a rise in pH. A linear relationship was observed between the charge transferred in the MFC and the performance of the system up to 880 C. Optimal conditions were found at a charge of 662 C, achieved within 7 d at an acetate concentration of 1.6 g L(-1) in a membrane MFC. This caused the pH to rise to 7.9 and resulted in a Fe removal of 99%. Treated effluent met the pH discharge limits of 6.5-9. The maximum power generation achieved under these conditions averaged 8.6±2.3 W m(-3), which could help reduce the costs of full-scale bioelectrochemical treatment of AMD dominated with Fe.