Abstract
The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs), two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates.
Highlights
The membrane bioreactor (MBR) is an efficient and compact processing technology that has been widely studied and applied in wastewater treatment and reuse [1,2]
Because the activated sludge in reactor cannot pass through the membrane, substances accumulate on the membrane surface and/or clog the actual filter pores, resulting in membrane fouling and an increase in filtration resistance
Membrane flux of the GMBR remained at 0.33 l?(m2?h?kp) 21 when operations were halted at 71 d
Summary
The membrane bioreactor (MBR) is an efficient and compact processing technology that has been widely studied and applied in wastewater treatment and reuse [1,2]. To minimize the membrane fouling problem, a MBR is either run at critical permeate flux, which optimizes the aeration intensity to remove membrane particulates, or is frequently cleaned by physical or chemical methods [2,5]. Both of these procedures are time-consuming and add to the fundamental processing costs; a more effective solution would be welcomed by wastewater engineers and plant operators. The results of previous studies suggest that additional adsorbent could improve sludge floc structure, reduce the accumulation of organic matter in the suspended liquid and delay membrane fouling [7,8]. Membrane fouling was found to be reduced by adding coagulant to the MBR [9,10]
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