Membrane Bioreactor (Fouling Control - Water and Wastewater) Articles

Fouling with aerobic granule membrane bioreactor

Aerobic granulation (AG) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) are two promising, novel environmental biotechnological processes that draw interest of researchers working in the area of biological wastewater treatment. Membrane fouling in the combined aerobic granular membrane bioreactor (AGMBR) process and the conventional MBR process was investigated in this work. The irreversible fouling on ...

Jan. 1, 2011

By IWA Publishing

Proteins causing membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

In this study, the details of proteins causing membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) treating real municipal wastewater were investigated. Two separate pilot-scale MBRs were continuously operated under significantly different operating conditions; one MBR was a submerged type whereas the other was a side-stream type. The submerged and side-stream MBRs were operated for 20 and 10 ...

Jun. 2, 2015

By IWA Publishing

Fouling membrane in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater

An anaerobic membrane reactor (AnMBR) treating municipal wastewater was evaluated. The experiments were performed using a pilot-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor with a submerged tubular ultrafiltration membrane at a hydraulic retention time of 8 hours. The system worked at an intermittent filtration mode (4 min on/1 min off) with and without nitrogen gas bubbling during the ...

Jan. 1, 2017

By IWA Publishing

Influence of membrane properties on physically reversible and irreversible fouling in membrane bioreactors

This study aimed to examine the impact of membrane properties on membrane fouling in membrane bioreactor (MBR). Membrane fouling was divided into two categories: physically reversible and irreversible fouling. Membrane properties related to each type of membrane fouling were investigated separately. Five microfiltration (MF) and one ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with different properties (pore ...

May 1, 2010

By IWA Publishing

A venturi device reduces membrane fouling in a submerged membrane bioreactor

In this study, for the first time, a venturi device was integrated into a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) to improve membrane surface cleaning and bioreactor oxygenation. The performances of a blower and the venturi device were compared in terms of membrane fouling and bioreactor oxygenation. Upon comparing membrane fouling, the performances were similar for a low operation flux (18 ...

Apr. 20, 2016

By IWA Publishing

Effect of sludge retention time on membrane bio-fouling using different type and pore size of membranes in a submerged membrane bioreactor

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of sludge retention time (SRT) on membrane bio-fouling. An activated sludge reactor was operated at three different SRTs (10, 30, and 50 days). Submerged membrane experiments were performed when the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration reached the steady state conditions. MLSS concentrations reached the steady state at ...

Dec. 3, 2012

By IWA Publishing

Pulse shear stress for anaerobic membrane bioreactor fouling control

Increase of shear stress at membrane surfaces is a generally applied strategy to minimize membrane fouling. It has been reported that a two-phase flow, better known as slug flow, is an effective way to increase shear stress. Hence, slug flow was introduced into an anaerobic membrane bioreactor for membrane fouling control. Anaerobic suspended sludge was cultured in an anaerobic membrane ...

Jan. 1, 2011

By IWA Publishing

Fouling potentials of polysaccharides in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) assessed by lectin affinity chromatography

In this study, the fouling potentials of polysaccharides contained in mixed liquor suspension in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater were investigated using lectin affinity chromatography. This investigation was carried out with different membranes to assess the effects of membrane materials on fouling potentials of polysaccharides. In lectin affinity chromatography, some ...

Apr. 1, 2010

By IWA Publishing

Fluidized glass beads reduce fouling in a novel anaerobic membrane bioreactor

This study focuses on the use of fluidized glass beads as turbulence promoters in a laboratory-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater at 20 °C. The addition of fluidized glass beads into an external tubular ceramic membrane enabled the operation at low crossflow velocities of 0.053–0.073 m/s (mean fluxes between 5.5 and 9.7 L/(m2·h)) with runtimes >300 h. Glass ...

May 17, 2017

By IWA Publishing

Biological nutrients & micro-pollutants removal and microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor

ABSTRACT Biological nutrient removing (BNR) performance was evaluated at different operating conditions using an innovative system, sequencing anoxic/anaerobic-aerobic membrane bioreactor (SAM). The SAM was operated at: internal recycling rate of 1.0, 1.5, 2.5; and 3.0 time of influent flow; SRT of 20, 40, and 100 days; low and moderate influent COD at hydraulic retention time of 4 hrs and 8 ...

Oct. 13, 2007

By Water Environment Federation (WEF)

Fouling mitigation in anaerobic membrane bioreactors using fluidized resin beads

This study focuses on the use of fluidized resin beads to mitigate fouling during ultrafiltration (UF) of the effluent of an anaerobic bioreactor. Two different module configurations were tested: A fluidized bed of resin beads was generated in a tubular UF membrane, and a hollow fiber (HF) UF membrane was submerged into a fluidized bed, respectively. During filtration of anaerobically treated ...

Jul. 12, 2017

By IWA Publishing

Irreversible fouling of membrane bioreactors due to formation of a non-biofilm gel layer

Extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS), known to contribute to fouling in membrane bio-reactors (MBRs), are generally divided into bound and free EPS. The free EPS are able to form a gel layer on the membrane active surface. The mechanisms involved in formation of such layer and its effects on performance of the MBR membranes were studied. The free EPS, extracted by centrifugation and ...

Apr. 24, 2014

By IWA Publishing

Evaluation of the importance of various operating and sludge property parameters to the fouling of membrane bioreactors

A single-fibre microfiltration system was employed to investigate the importance of various operating and sludge property parameters to the membrane fouling during sludge filtration. The sludge was obtained from a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR). A series of comparative and correlative filtration and fouling tests were conducted on the influence of the operating variables, sludge properties ...

Jan. 1, 2011

By IWA Publishing

Physico-chemical characterisation versus <italic>in situ</italic> micro-structural characterisation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

Physico-chemical characterisation versus in situ micro-structural characterisation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

Fouling characteristics of aerobic submerged membrane bioreactors were analysed under two different membrane materials. Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were found to foul faster at sub-critical flux than polyolefin (PO) membranes. Physico-chemical characterisation, by means of comparison of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) concentrations, as well as ...

Jan. 1, 2011

By IWA Publishing

Effect of cycle run time of backwash and relaxation on membrane fouling removal in submerged membrane bioreactor treating sewage at higher flux

Intermittent backwashing and relaxation are mandatory in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) for its effective operation. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of run-relaxation and run-backwash cycle time on fouling rates. Furthermore, comparison of the effects of backwashing and relaxation on the fouling behavior of membrane in high rate submerged MBR. The study was ...

May 18, 2017

By IWA Publishing

Pollutant removal and membrane fouling in an anaerobic submerged membrane bioreactor for real sewage treatment

Real sewage was continuously treated by a laboratory-scale anaerobic submerged membrane bioreactor (AnSMBR) for over 160 days. Results showed that around 90% of chemical oxygen demand, and 99% of turbidity and total suspended solids in the sewage could be removed by the AnSMBR system. Membrane flux sustained at 11 L/(m2 h) was realized with biogas sparging. Small flocs from sludge ...

Apr. 24, 2014

By IWA Publishing

Effects of carriers on nutrient removal and membrane fouling in combined process of inclined-plates hydrolytic tank and membrane bioreactor

A novel process, inclined-plates hydrolytic tank (IHT) and membrane bioreactor (MBR), was used to treat domestic sewage continuously. In this study, the effects of carriers' addition on operational performances of IHT-MBR were studied at the hydraulic retention time of 5.4 h and the recycling rate of 200%. Experimental results indicated the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand, total ...

Sep. 3, 2016

By IWA Publishing

Influences of electroosmosis and electrophoresis on permeate flux and membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors (SMBRs)

The objective of this study was to investigate the influences of electroosmosis (EO) and electrophoresis (EP) on the permeate flux in submerged membrane bioreactors. When a polymeric membrane is placed in between an anode and a cathode, both EO and EP occur simultaneously, causing enhancement in flux. Results showed that after 150 min of filtration, the permeate fluxes were 60, 115, 175 and ...

Jun. 8, 2016

By IWA Publishing

Effects of mixed liquor pH on membrane fouling and micro-pollutant removals in membrane bioreactors for municipal landfill leachate treatment

This research investigated the membrane fouling and micro-pollutant removals in treatment of municipal landfill leachate at various pH levels (i.e. 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5) using membrane bioreactors. The findings revealed that membrane fouling was influenced by the pH level of mixed liquor, with pH 5.5 exhibiting the most severe membrane fouling. At pH 5.5, proteins and carbohydrates were ...

Aug. 19, 2015

By IWA Publishing

Five Year Experience with Membrane Performance Enhancers for Membrane Bioreactors: From Mechanistic Studies to Full-Sclae Implementation

Membrane performance enhancer (MPE) technology has been developed to improve membrane performances in membrane bioreactors (MBR). This technology is based on modified polymers that coagulate soluble microbial products (SMP) and extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS), thereby preventing membrane fouling. In full-scale municipal MBR plants, MPE has increased the average daily flux by 40-200% ...

Oct. 13, 2007

By Water Environment Federation (WEF)

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