The influence of hydrolysis induced biopolymers from recycled aerobic sludge on specific methanogenic activity and sludge filterability in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of excess aerobic sludge on the specific methanogenic activity (SMA), in order to establish the maximum allowable aerobic sludge loading. In batch tests, different ratios of aerobic sludge to anaerobic inoculum were used, i.e. 0.03, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15, showing that low ratios led to an increased SMA. However, the ratio 0.15 caused more than 20% SMA decrease. In addition to the SMA tests, the potential influence of biopolymers and extracellular substances, that are generated as a result of excess aerobic sludge hydrolysis, on membrane performance was determined by assessing the fouling potential of the liquid broth, taking into account parameters such as specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and supernatant filterability (SF). Addition of aerobic sludge to the anaerobic biomass resulted in a high membrane fouling potential. The increase in biopolymers could be ascribed to aerobic sludge hydrolysis. A clear positive correlation between the concentration of the colloidal fraction of biopolymer clusters (cBPC) and the SRF was observed and a negative correlation between the cBPC and the SF measured at the end of the above described SMA tests. The latter implies that sludge filtration resistance increases when more aerobic sludge is hydrolyzed, and thus more cBPC is released. During AnMBR operation, proteins significantly contributed to sludge filterability decrease expressed as SRF and SF, whereas the carbohydrate fraction of SMP was of less importance due to low concentrations. On the contrary, carbohydrates seemed to improve filterability and diminish SRF of the sludge. Albeit, cBPC increase caused an increase in mean TMP during the AnMBR operation, confirming that cBPC is positively correlated to membrane fouling.

Impact of methanogenic pre-treatment on the performance of an aerobic MBR system.

The combination of anaerobic treatment with an aerobic MBR as a polishing step is an alternative to treat some industrial wastewater and/or urban wastewaters generated in warm climate countries. In this work a pilot-scale UASB reactor and an aerobic MBR as a polishing step was operated. The impact of the methanogenic stage on membrane fouling was studied. Operating fluxes of 11-18 L m(-2) h(-1) and permeabilities of 100-250 L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) were reported. It was demonstrated that the recirculation of aerobic biomass to the anaerobic stage provoked a release of biopolymers due to the hydrolysis of aerobic biomass in these conditions. Depending on biomass concentration in membrane chamber, the presence of biopolymers worsened membrane performance. Fouling rate was three times higher when biomass concentration decreased from 8 to 2 g L(-1), with similar concentrations of biopolymers present. Moreover, the presence of plastic support in the aerobic stage was shown to improve membrane performance, decreasing the concentrations of the studied fouling indicators. Carbohydrate fraction of soluble microbial products, biopolymer clusters (BPC) and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) concentrations were studied as possible fouling indicators for this system. A strong correlation between both colloidal fraction of BPC (cBPC) and TEP with membrane fouling rate was observed.

Three stages MBR (methanogenic, aerobic biofilm and membrane filtration) for the treatment of low-strength wastewaters.

The use of a new three stages MBR process with a first methanogenic UASB stage, a second stage with aerobic biofilm growing on small carrier elements maintained in suspension and third stage with membrane filtration module is presented. The objective of the first methanogenic chamber is to diminish COD of the raw wastewater, producing a biogas rich in methane, and decrease the sludge production. In the second stage, the remaining soluble biodegradable COD is oxidized by heterotrophs. In the third stage, the membrane modules could be operated at higher fluxes than those reported for AnMBR systems, and similar to those obtained in aerobic MBRs. In this sense, the concept of these three stages MBR is to join the advantages of the methanogenic and aerobic membrane bioreactor processes, by reducing energy requirements for aeration, producing biogas with high methane percentage and a permeate with very low COD content. A synthetic wastewater was fed to the three stages MBR. COD in the influent was between 200 and 1,200 mg/L, ammonium ranged from 10 to 35 mg/L and phosphorous concentration was 8 mg/L. OLR in-between 1 and 3 kg COD/(m3 d) and a HRT of 13-21 h were applied. Temperature was between 17.5 and 23.2 degrees C. During the whole operating period the COD removal efficiencies were in the range of 90 and 96% of which in between 40 and 80% was removed in the first methanogenic chamber. Biogas production with methane content between 75 and 80% was observed. With regard to membrane operation, average permeabilities around 150 L/(m2 h bar) were achieved, operating with fluxes of 11-15 L/(m2 h).