Abstract
A hybrid Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor—Membrane Bioreactor (MBBR-MBR) was developed for the treatment of wastewater from a Spanish textile company. Compared with conventional activated sludge (CAS) treatment, the feasibility of this hybrid system to reduce economic and environmental impact on an industrial scale was conducted. The results showed that, technically, the removal efficiency of COD, TSS and color reached 93%, 99% and 85%, respectively. The newly dyed fabrics performed with the treated wastewater were qualified under the standards of the textile industry. Economically, the values of Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) calculated for the hybrid MBBR-MBR system are profitable because of the reduction in Operational Expenditure (OPEX) when compared with CAS treatment, due to the lower effluent discharge tax thanks to the higher quality of the effluent and the decolorizing agent saved. The result of Net Present Value (NPV) and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 18% suggested that MBBR-MBR is financially applicable for implantation into the industrial scale. The MBBR-MBR treatment also showed lower environmental impacts than the CAS process in the life cycle assessment (LCA) study, especially in the category of climate change, thanks to the avoidance of using extra decolorizing agent, a synthetic product based on a triamine.
Highlights
The textile industry processes a wide variety of fibers: naturals, artificial or synthetic
The average membrane pressure for the filtration was 15 kPa, which is much lower than the maximum pressure (80 kPa) that the membrane can withstand, showing that the filtration and backwash was stable, and no membrane fouling was observed during the operation, thanks to the combination with Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR)
The experimental study of a hybrid MBBR-Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) showed the efficient removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) (93%), color (85%) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) (99%) with 1 day of Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT)
Summary
The textile industry processes a wide variety of fibers: naturals (cotton, wool, etc.), artificial (viscose, acetate, etc.) or synthetic (polyester, acrylic, etc.). The chemical stability and low biodegradability of compounds like dyes in the wastewater especially cause significant environmental concerns [3,4]. In response to such a complex type of wastewater, researchers and industries have developed various treatment processes, such as physico-chemical (coagulation–flocculation, adsorption and filtration), biological technologies and combined treatment processes [5,6,7]. Companies must pay a discharge tax to cover the costs of public sanitation infrastructures. This discharge tax depends on the wastewater volume and the pollutant load [10]. To lower the discharge tax, industries have to increase the efficiency of their wastewater treatment systems, in order to obtain effluents of higher quality that can be reused in the production process
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