Effects of hydraulic retention time and bioflocculant addition on membrane fouling in a sponge-submerged membrane bioreactor

Lijuan Deng; Wenshan Guo; Huu Hao Ngo; Bing Du; Qin Wei; Ngoc Han Tran; Nguyen Cong Nguyen; Shiao-Shing Chen; Jianxin Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2016.01.056

Effects of hydraulic retention time and bioflocculant addition on membrane fouling in a sponge-submerged membrane bioreactor

Bioresour Technol. 2016 Jun:210:11-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.01.056. Epub 2016 Jan 23.

Authors

Lijuan Deng¹, Wenshan Guo¹, Huu Hao Ngo², Bing Du³, Qin Wei⁴, Ngoc Han Tran⁵, Nguyen Cong Nguyen⁶, Shiao-Shing Chen⁶, Jianxin Li⁷

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
² Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, PR China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Chemical Sensing & Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, PR China.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A-02-19, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
⁶ Institute of Environmental Engineering and Management, National Taipei University of Technology, No. 1, Sec. 3, Chung-Hsiao E. Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan, ROC.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300387, PR China.

PMID: 26852274
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.01.056

Abstract

The characteristics of activated sludge and membrane fouling were evaluated in a sponge-submerged membrane bioreactor (SSMBR) at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (6.67, 5.33 and 4.00h). At shorter HRT, more obvious membrane fouling was caused by exacerbated cake layer formation and aggravated pore blocking. Activated sludge possessed more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) due to excessive growth of biomass and lower protein to polysaccharide ratio in soluble microbial products (SMP). The cake layer resistance was aggravated by increased sludge viscosity together with the accumulated EPS and biopolymer clusters (BPC) on membrane surface. However, SMP showed marginal effect on membrane fouling when SSMBRs were operated at all HRTs. The SSMBR with Gemfloc® addition at the optimum HRT of 6.67h demonstrated superior sludge characteristics such as larger floc size, less SMP in mixed liquor with higher protein/polysaccharide ratio, less SMP and BPC in cake layer, thereby further preventing membrane fouling.

Keywords: Bioflocculant; Hydraulic retention time; Membrane bioreactor; Membrane fouling; Sponge.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biofouling*
Biomass
Biopolymers / analysis
Bioreactors*
Flocculation
Membranes, Artificial*
Polysaccharides / analysis
Porifera
Pressure
Sewage / chemistry
Solubility
Time Factors
Viscosity
Volatilization

Substances

Biopolymers
Membranes, Artificial
Polysaccharides
Sewage