11 - Anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactors (AnDMBRs) for wastewater treatment

Abstract

The emerging anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) process is a combination of dynamic membrane (DM) filtration technology with anaerobic digestion (AD), representing an effective alternative for treating various wastewaters, such as high-strength wastewater, municipal wastewater, and organic wastes. The DM layer can be self-formed on large pore-size supporting materials when filtering solutions containing suspended particles, and functions as a virtual filter for effective solid-liquid separation. The AnDMBR process presents comparative performance as the anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) and also shows some unique advantages such as much lower membrane cost and filtration resistance as well as less maintenance requirements. The development of AnDMBR process regarding DM module and bioreactor configuration, and the operation of AnDMBR including DM layer formation and cleaning are presented first. The application of AnDMBR process in wastewater treatment is reviewed in terms of pollutant removal, biogas production, and DM filtration behavior. In addition, some important parameters affecting the design and operation of AnDMBR process are discussed to guide their selection. Finally, perspectives regarding future development and application of AnDMBRs are presented.