Effect of Hydraulic Retention Time on Treatment Performance in an Anoxic/Oxic Electro-Membrane Bioreactor
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 11
Abstract
Bacterial profile, nutrients removal performance, and membrane fouling behavior were evaluated in an anoxic/oxic electro-membrane bioreactor (A/O e-MBR) treating municipal wastewater at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (30, 20, and 15 h). The results demonstrated that HRT reduction from 30 to 15 h had a negligible effect on chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium (), and total phosphorus (TP) removal, showing efficiencies above of 98%, 99%, and 95%, respectively, for any experimental runs. On the other hand, total nitrogen (TN) removal improved significantly from 80.7% to 90.5% as the HRT was reduced from 30 to 15 h. Activity batch assays have shown a higher specific nitrate uptake rate (SNUR) at the shorter HRT. Results of DNA sequencing analysis indicated a larger amount of denitrifying bacteria genus and a greater relative abundance of Nitrospira genus at shorter HRTs, supporting the higher SNUR and the greater TN removal. The membrane fouling rate increased by about 16 times during the period with HRT of 15 h. Besides, some fouling propensity parameters have shown a worse mixed liquor filterability in this period.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES) for their financial support.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 11 • November 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2017
Accepted: May 10, 2018
Published online: Aug 24, 2018
Published in print: Nov 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jan 24, 2019
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