Preparation and modification of low-fouling ultrafiltration membranes for cheese whey treatment by membrane bioreactor

Abstract

This case studied the treatment of cheese whey wastewater (CWW) from the Kalleh® dairy industry using a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The coagulation process and activated sludge sections eliminated 26% and 75% of organic matter from CWW with chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 10,000 mg/l, respectively. In the MBR, metal-organic framework (MOF)-modified PSf membranes enhanced the whole system's performance. The flux of water and CWW increased from 157 and 28 (L/m2.h) to 350 and 60 (L/m2.h), respectively, by only 2 wt% MOF concentration. The reduction of COD in the overall system was around 98.8%.