Nitrogen oxidation and carbon removal from high strength nitrogen habitation wastewater with nitrification in membrane aerated biological reactors

Bioreactors for space habitation systems have unique constraints. One type of reactor that could meet these constraints are membrane aerated biological reactors (MABRs). The objective this work was to establish the performance and optimal loading capacities multiple MABRs with a variety waste streams. operated over large range organic nitrogen (ON) carbon (OC) rates (36–220 g/m3-d 20–200 g/m3-d, respectively) across all wastewaters excluding humidity condensate (HC) where ON OC ranged from 1.6 11 7–55 respectively. transformation (29–210 23–170 were proportional similar treating terrestrial high strength at loadings. MABR maximum limited by oxidation which controls pH. Above pH ~7.8 removal is inhibited free ammonium due elevated concentrations in HC. While lower than typical systems, stably up 5 years maintenance no solids processing. This supports use reliably stabilize minimal consumables. These results also support strength, low volume complex technology may be unsupportable, such as rural or developing communities centralized treatment applications two-phase aeration can lead undesirable off gassing.