Municipal Wastewater Treatment by Membrane Bioreactors

Abstract

While the population and therefore the demand for water keep increasing alarmingly, the type and quantity of water source remains the same. This leads the world to water scarcity. In this chapter, the need for wastewater recycling and stringent rules to control water pollution, instigated by water scarcity, is identified as the main driving force for the current and future increase in the use of advanced wastewater treatment systems. The types and sources of wastewater, water pollution, and pollutants along with the available treatment technologies are described. The need to continue to develop new strategies for water management is recommended. In most scenarios water reuse and/or recycling are deemed to be financially feasible approaches and hence are discussed as vital in this chapter. Municipal wastewater represents a large volume of wastewater released from different sources. The wastewater is rich in organic and inorganic compounds with high biodegradability. This chapter discusses Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process with a special focus on biomass-based MBRs and its suitability for municipal wastewater treatment/reclamation in comparison with the existing conventional treatment technologies. Selected groups of microbes isolated and described in the literature as efficient for use in MBR systems are highlighted. The effort, desire, and market trends on MBR for municipal/domestic wastewater treatment and valorization are commentated by reviewing a wide range of projects funded by EU and other reports. It is also noted that, although there is progressive development and significant rise in the use of MBRs, severe membrane fouling and presence and retention of emerging micropollutants limited its further success. Remark is given to the importance of integrating MBR with emerging membrane operations and the simultaneous use of enzyme membrane reactors and mixed community of microbes to reclaim municipal wastewater with a desirable quality.