Abstract
Currently, there is growing scientific interest in the development of more economic, efficient and environmentally friendly municipal wastewater treatment technologies. Laboratory and pilot-scale surveys have revealed that the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is a promising alternative for municipal wastewater treatment. Anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology combines the advantages of anaerobic processes and membrane technology. Membranes retain colloidal and suspended solids and provide complete solid–liquid separation. The slow-growing anaerobic microorganisms in the bioreactor degrade the soluble organic matter, producing biogas. The low amount of produced sludge and the production of biogas makes AnMBRs favorable over conventional biological treatment technologies. However, the AnMBR is not yet fully mature and challenging issues remain. This work focuses on fundamental aspects of AnMBRs in the treatment of municipal wastewater. The important parameters for AnMBR operation, such as pH, temperature, alkalinity, volatile fatty acids, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time and solids retention time, are discussed. Moreover, through a comprehensive literature survey of recent applications from 2009 to 2021, the current state of AnMBR technology is assessed and its limitations are highlighted. Finally, the need for further laboratory, pilot- and full-scale research is addressed.
Highlights
Conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in many cases, do not reach the strict quality limits for effluent reuse, while the energy potential of the chemical bonds of the organic substances and the thermal energy of the sewage remains unused
This paper aims at exploring the fundamental aspects of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for municipal wastewater treatment
The literature review of the present work has shown that AnMBR systems can effectively treat municipal wastewater and produce a high-quality effluent
Summary
Conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in many cases, do not reach the strict quality limits for effluent reuse, while the energy potential of the chemical bonds of the organic substances and the thermal energy of the sewage remains unused. The anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater is based on the biological process in which certain microorganisms, in the absence of oxygen, decompose complex organic compounds into simpler ones and eventually convert them to methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) [3]. A crucial process that enables the metabolism of organic compounds by anaerobic microorganisms is hydrolysis, that is, their degradation into compounds of lower molecular weight so that they can enter the cells of the microbes. During the process of anaerobic degradation of the organic constituents, volatile fatty acids are formed which reduce the pH value. VFAs are capable of intercepting anaerobic processing when formed at high concentrations, causing a decrease in the pH value [24] Their effect is greater in AnMBR systems operating at low pH values [3]. The excessive accumulation of VFAs in an AnMBR can result in a decrease of the pH in the reactor, leading to an inhibition of the methanogenic bacteria
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