Membrane Fouling and Cleaning in Anaerobic Flat-Sheet Ceramic Membrane Bioreactor for Sewage Treatment
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 10
Abstract
In this study, the feasibility of an anaerobic flat-sheet ceramic membrane reactor for sewage treatment was evaluated, and the membrane fouling mechanism and membrane cleaning methods were studied. The results showed that when the transmembrane pressure was greater than 35 kPa, the hydraulic retention time and temperature affected the membrane fouling by causing the microbial metabolism to produce extracellular polymeric substances and soluble microbial products. In addition, the surfaces of the initial, polluted, and cleaned membranes were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, and the fouling mechanism of the flat-sheet ceramic membrane was analyzed. With the combination of physical and chemical cleaning, most pollutants on the membrane surface and pores were removed; however, a small amount of pollutants remained in the pores. The results showed that the cleaning methods were effective in controlling membrane fouling.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and codes generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51638006); Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019GXNSFFA245017); and Special Funding for Guangxi “BaGui Scholar” Construction Projects.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 10 • October 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 15, 2021
Accepted: May 16, 2021
Published online: Jul 29, 2021
Published in print: Oct 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 29, 2021
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