This study compared membrane fouling in a sponge-submerged membrane bioreactor (SSMBR) and a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) based on sludge properties when treating synthetic domestic wastewater. In the CMBR, soluble microbial products (SMP) in activated sludge were a major contributor for initial membrane fouling and presented higher concentration in membrane cake layer. Afterwards, m...

A membrane-coupled aerobic bioreactor (MBR) can be described as a system coupling the aerobic bioreactor, or activated sludge tank, of a wastewater treatment system with a microor ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane serves to separate the suspended material in the sludge so that the permeate stream is free of chemicals, microorganisms, and other contaminants. The membrane may be either inter...

Membrane bioreactor has been used on winery waste water to overcome difficulties that are typically met in this environment with traditional biological treatment: poor sludge settling, bulking related to high sugar concentration and variable load. This paper reports about an innovative approach to membrane filtration used in combination with injector aeration to make membrane bioreactor best su...

this paper presents the results of an investigation on the effects of concentration of cations on activated sludge properties and membrane fouling in submerge membrane bioreactors. the working volume of the experimental setup was two liters. the cellulose acetate membrane was immersed in the bioreactor. the flocculability, settling properties and fouling propensity of activated sludge was measu...

In this work, the performance of organic pollutant removal, membrane fouling and sludge morphology in a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating sunflower oil refinery wastewater (SORW) containing high oleic content was studied during 52 days’ operation at short values of 18 h and 10 days for hydraulic retention time and sludge retention time, respectively. The removal efficiencies of chemi...

A novel osmotic membrane bioreactor (OsMBR) is presented. The system utilizes a submerged forward osmosis (FO) membrane module inside a bioreactor. Through osmosis, water is transported from the mixed liquor across a semi-permeable membrane, and into a draw solution (DS) with a higher osmotic pressure. To produce potable water, the diluted DS is treated in a reverse osmosis (RO) unit; the by-pr...

Entrapment of methane-producing microorganisms between semi-permeable synthetic membranes in a multi-layer membrane bioreactor (MMBR) was studied and compared to the digestion capacity of a free-cell digester, using a hydraulic retention time of one day and organic loading rates (OLR) of 3.08, 6.16, and 8.16 g COD/L·day. The reactor was designed to retain bacterial cells with uprising plug flow...