COD Removal Research Articles

Characterization of Silica Sand-Based Pervious Bricks and Their Performance under Stormwater Treatment

The acceleration of urbanization has disrupted natural water cycles, resulting in increased impervious urban surfaces and non-point source pollution from stormwater runoff. Addressing urban stormwater recharge has become crucial. This study introduces a novel silica sand-based permeable filtration material, investigating its surface characteristics, pore structure, permeability, and pollutant interception capabilities. The results demonstrate that hydrophilic binder coating modification of the permeable surface sand aggregate, combined with hydrophilic inorganic additives, having a porous structure with an average pore size of less than 50 μm and a porosity between 15% and 35%, significantly enhances surface hydrophilicity, achieving a permeation rate of up to 6.8 mL/(min·cm²). Moreover, it shows exceptional filtration and anti-clogging properties, achieving over 98% suspended solids interception and strong resistance to fouling. Dynamic biofilm formation experiments using simulated rain and domestic wastewater explore biofilm morphology and function on silica sand filtration well surfaces. Mature biofilms sustain COD removal efficiency exceeding 70%, with levels consistently below 50 mg/L, NH4+ decreasing to 2 mg N/L, and total nitrogen maintained below 10 mg N/L. The system features anoxic, anoxic, and aerobic zones, fostering synergistic organic matter and nitrogen removal by diverse microorganisms, enhancing pollutant mitigation. Silica sand-based permeable filtration material effectively mitigates urban stormwater runoff pollutants—suspended solids, organic matter, and nitrogen—offering an innovative solution for sponge city development and rainwater resource management.

Synergistic effects of various membrane and cathode electrode types in dual chamber microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment: Investigation of the start-up phase, modeling using artificial neural networks, and cost analysis

Although various membrane and cathode electrode types have been investigated in dual chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMDCs), there is no agreement on which combination of electrodes and separator materials works best. The main objective of this study is to investigate the synergistic effects of cathode electrodes and membranes on the performance of DCMFCs during the start-up phase, to model the DCMFCs through artificial neural networks (ANN), and to determine the most cost-effective choice. Principal component analysis was used to analyze the interrelationships among various factors that influence DCMFCs. Two types of ion exchange membranes (cation exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane) and two types of cathode electrodes (carbon cloth covered with 20% Pt as catalyst and plain carbon cloth) were studied. Electrodes and membranes were analyzed using AFM, TEM, SEM, XRF, and FTIR to investigate changes in morphology and the potential of fouling. The results showed that DCMFC with cation exchange membrane (CEM) and plain carbon cloth (CC) generated the maximum power among the investigated configurations. The average voltage values and COD removal efficiency reached 748 ± 13 mV and 57.8 ± 2.5%, respectively. The maximum power density achieved was obtained when the external resistance was set at 1000 Ω and was 180 mA/m2. ANN was successful in predicting the output voltage for the examined DCMFCs. The use of DCMFC with CC and CEM can be considered optimal in terms of performance and cost.

The effect of silica-doped graphene oxide (GO-SiO2) on persulfate activation for the removal of Acid Blue 25.

The release of synthetic dyes into water bodies poses many environmental issues, and their removal is a necessity. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can be employed for removal, in many of which a catalyst is used. graphene oxide (GO) is a viable catalyst due to its distinctive structural properties; however, it is reportedly incapable of effectively activating persulfate. Thus, this study delves for the first time into the influence of doping silica on enhancing GO's catalytic performance to activate persulfate for decolorizing Acid Blue 25 (AB25). Based on the results, an equal weight proportion of GO to silica was selected as the most efficient ratio. In addition, pH had no significant effect on removal efficiency, while temperature had the highest impact. Within 150 min with 0.075 gr/L of GO-SiO2 as the catalyst and 1 gr/L of Na2S2O8 as the oxidant, the investigated process removed Acid Blue 25 up to 82%, which was 9% higher than when GO alone was used as the catalyst. As for COD removal, the contribution of doping silica was more significant and led to 37% COD removal, which was 17% higher than when GO alone was used.

Enhanced performance of coal-based adsorbents in removing phenols from highly concentrated coking wastewater: Targeting large-scale applications

Coking wastewater threatens the ecology and environment significantly, but it still has challenges in the efficient removal of organic contaminants due to its complex composition and inadequate biochemical properties. Low-cost coal-based material has potential in treating coking wastewater due to its special structure and surface oxygenic functional groups. In this work, gangue-based materials were modified in different ways and applied to coking wastewater treatment. Combined with the comprehensive analysis of the adsorbents' morphology, structure, and composition with SEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, etc., the adsorption behaviors and regeneration properties were extensively investigated. Notably the adsorption and regeneration capacity of the adsorbents are significantly enhanced after modification, BY-C2 exhibits a remarkable COD removal rate of 90.2 % from real coking wastewater, which remains stable at 72.0 % even after 10 cycles. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model are found to fit well with the adsorption processes of phenolic compounds in coking wastewater. The adsorption mechanism involves hydrogen bonding, van der Waals' force, capillary forces and electrostatic attraction. This work paves the way for the large-scaled application of coal-based adsorbents in coking wastewater treatment and the subsequent recycling of high-valued organic pollutants.

Degradation of Remazol Brilliant Blue Dye Using Persulfate Activated by Fe3O4@PDA Nanoparticles: Kinetic Studies, Radical Determination, and Phytotoxicity Test.

In the current research work, an advanced oxidation process was applied to the degradation of Remazol brilliant blue dye (RBBD) using a sulfate radical. Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles were synthesized using coprecipitation and self-polymerization techniques. Nanoparticle formation was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, FESEM-EDX, VSM, and XPS analyses. The crystalline nature of the material showed that it possessed a spherical shape with an Ms value of 58 emu/g. The elemental composition and binding energy from EDX and XPS analyses showed successful doping. Batch studies were conducted, and experimental studies showed that the optimum condition for degradation of 90 ppm of RBBD was 0.3 g/L of nanomaterial, 20 mM PS at pH 3, achieving 91.35% degradation. The kinetic model suitable for this study was a pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 value >0.9. From the radical identification tests, sulfate radicals played a dominant role in degradation, and to confirm it, EPR analysis was conducted using DMPO. A stability test was performed for 5 cycles in which the degradation efficiency was reduced appreciably. From XPS, XRD, and EDX analyses, the elemental composition and oxidation state of the recycled material used in the fifth cycle showed variation in a negligible manner when compared to the fresh catalyst used in the first cycle of the degradation experiment. Intermediate identification was done by GCMS analysis, and it disclosed the formation of aliphatic products from the degradation of RBBD with less toxicity. Phytotoxicity analysis was conducted using green grams for 10 days, and it proved that intermediates formed in the solution were nontoxic to the plants. Additionally, TOC and COD removal % were attained to be 80.021 and 80.903%, respectively, which confirm the mineralization efficacy. Hence, this research work proved the efficient performance of the catalyst for RBBD degradation with less formation of intermediates, and therefore, this technique is most suitable for the reduction of water pollution.

Ceramic membranes synthesized using fly ash pulp and paper boiler for COD and BOD removal from river

Ceramic membranes synthesized using fly ash pulp and paper boiler for COD and BOD removal from river

Anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor treating sulfamethoxazole wastewater: advantages of dynamic membrane and its fouling mechanism

Discharge of improperly treated sulfamethoxazole (SMX) wastewater seriously threats environmental security and public health. Anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactors (AnDMBRs) technology would be cost-effective for SMX wastewater treatment, considering its low cost and satisfactory treatment efficiency. The performance of AnDMBR, though demonstrated to be excellent in treating many types of wastewaters, was for the first time investigated for treating SMX wastewater. Particular efforts were devoted to elucidating the advantages of dynamic membrane (DM) and the governing mechanism responsible for DM fouling with the presence of SMX. The threshold SMX concentration for AnDMBR was found to be 90 mg/L and the AnDMBR exhibited excellent removal efficiency of COD (90.91 %) and SMX (88.95 %) as well as satisfactory acute toxicity reduction rate (88.84 %). It was noteworthy that the DM made indispensable contributions to the removal of COD (14.26 %) and SMX (22.20 %) as well as the acute reduction of toxicity (25.81 %). The presence of SMX significantly accelerated DM fouling mainly by increasing its specific resistance, which was attributed to the increased content of small particles, high-valence metal ions and EPS content (mainly hydrophobic proteins), resulting in a denser DM structure with lower porosity. Besides, the biofouling-related bacteria (Firmicutes) was found to be enriched in the DM with the presence of SMX.

Effects of LED lights and cytokinin on the phytotreatment of simulated swine wastewater by Azolla spp.: Pollutant removal and biomass valorization

Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and affordable option for tackling wastewater pollutants. The study focused on how light-emitting diodes (LED) light exposure, measured by intensity and duration (photoperiod), along with cytokinin, impacts Azolla microphylla's simulated swine wastewater treatment performance and biomass production. Under optimal treatment conditions, high removals of COD (89.2 % to 90.8 %), N-NH4+ (72.6 % to 91.2 %), N-NO3- (84.4 % to 88.6 %), Cu (75.4 % to 86.4 %), sulfamethoxazole (77.0 % to 79.0 %), P-PO43- (54.1 % to 59.9 %) and DOC (67.4 % to 71.3 %) while Zn presented a more moderate reduction (2.0 % to 9.7 %). Biomass productivity reached up to 34.8 t ha-1 yr-1. Protein production accounted for 23 % to 27 % of dry weight, while lipids ranged from 20 % to 34 % of dry biomass. Carbohydrate content varied from 8 % to 28 % of fresh weight. Higher light intensities, with both high or low values of photoperiods, and low concentrations of cytokinin were identified as optimal conditions for removal of almost all pollutants. However, pollutant removal was impacted differently by LED light and cytokinin concentration. In treatment conditions with the shortest photoperiods (8 h), the lowest residual Cu and Zn concentrations, whereas with longer photoperiods (24 h), the lowest residual concentrations of N-NH4+ and P-PO43- concentrations were recorded. On the other hand, SMX was the only parameter in which cytokinin had a clear influence on its removal, with the lowest residual concentration observed under 8-hour photoperiods combined with the lowest tested cytokinin concentrations (0.3 mg L-1). For residual COD and N-NO3-, no discernible pattern was evident for any of the analyzed factors. Therefore, the study demonstrates the potential for treating simulated swine wastewater using Azolla microphylla, aligned with its ability to produce biomass rich in high-value compounds.

Effective sludge activation in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) towards aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology

Activated sludge is a biological treatment that commonly deals with the problem of excess sludge production. As advanced technology, aerobic granular sludge is expected to address the drawbacks of the activated sludge system, including the excess sludge issue. This study aims to investigate the characteristics and performance of the activation process of excess sludge. The study was conducted in a sequencing batch reactor with different substrate compositions in three phases. The activation process with biodegradable substrate supported by nutrients and micronutrients consisting of cations successfully enhanced the growth of microorganisms to 6720 mg/L of MLSS and 5450 mg/L of MLVSS. The settling performance of the sludge increased, marked by a low average of SVI5 of 63.89 mL/gTSS and SVI30 of 45.16 mL/gTSS. The treatment improved COD removal to 90 % and ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate removal to 98 %, 47 %, and 37 %, respectively. The granulation process with micronutrients as cation addition in 25 mg/L has not been achieved through the experiment in 18 days indicated by the ratio of SVI30 to SVI5 on the average of 0.71. Therefore, the findings suggest that the study of substrate and cation concentration to accelerate the granulation is proposed towards AGS technology and its application to achieve a sustainable environment.

Long-term and multiscale assessment of methanogenesis enhancement mechanisms in magnetite nanoparticle-mediated anaerobic digestion reactor

Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) have been demonstrated to be involved in direct interspecies electron transfer between syntrophic bacteria, yet a comprehensive assessment of the ability of Fe3O4-NPs to cope with process instability and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation in scaled-up anaerobic reactors is still lacking. Here, we investigated the start-up characteristics of an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) with Fe3O4-NPs as an adjuvant at high organic loading rate (OLR). The results showed that the methane production rate of R1 (with Fe3O4-NPs) was approximately 1.65 folds of R0 (control), and effluent COD removal efficiency was maintained at approximately 98.32% upon 20 kg COD/(m3·d) OLR. The components of volatile fatty acids are acetate and propionate, and the rapid scavenging of propionate accumulation was the difference between R1 and the control. The INT-ETS activity of R1 was consistently higher than that of R0 and R2, and the electron transfer efficiencies increased by 68.78% and 131.44%, respectively. Meanwhile, the CV curve analysis showed that the current of R1 was 40% higher than R3 (temporary addition of Fe3O4-NPs), indicating that multiple electron transfer modes might coexist. High-throughput analysis further revealed that it was difficult to reverse the progressive deterioration of system performance with increasing OLR by simply reconfiguring bacterial community structure and abundance, demonstrating that the Fe3O4-NPs-mediated DIET pathway is a prerequisite for establishing multiple electron transfer systems. This study provides a long-term and multi-scale assessment of the gaining effect of Fe3O4-NPs in anaerobic digestion scale-up devices, and provides technical support for their practical engineering applications.

Enhanced pollution removal from canal water by coupling aeration to floating treatment wetlands

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are natural solutions for purifying polluted water, providing a green surface area and improving city landscape. This study investigated if the efficiency of FTWs can be improved by aeration for treating contaminated canal water. The three used plant species were Canna generalis, Phragmites australis, and Cyperus alternifolius. The experiment was carried out in three FTWs with aeration and three without aeration to compare the removal for COD, NH4 +-N, E. coli, PO4 3−-P, and Fe. In the aerated FTWs, air blowers were installed to run at two different air flow rates of 2.5 L min−1 (Batch 1) and 1.0 L min−1 (Batch 2). Aeration increased the dissolved oxygen concentrations in each tank, which came over 6.5 mg L−1 in both batches. This study sheds light on the positive impact of aeration has on COD and NH4 +-N removal: these are nearly three-fold higher compared to non-aeration conditions and reached approximately 99% (1.7-log reduction) for E. coli removal. Additionally, the plant growth rate in the aerated FTWs was higher than in the non-aerated ones. The average shoot growth rate of Phragmites australis was 0.76 cm d−1 for the aerated FTW which was two-fold higher compared to the non-aerated one.

Sequential use of coagulation and adsorption methods for COD removal from soft drink industry wastewater

Sequential use of coagulation and adsorption methods for COD removal from soft drink industry wastewater

Comparative Study of Adsorbents for Treatment of Industrial Effluent

Water contaminated with various impurities is considered as wastewater and industrial wastewater obtainedfrom industries is known as effluent. The industrial effluent adversely affects the aquatic ecosystems,deteriorate human health, and degrades overall environmental quality. Treatment of such effluent withadsorbent is one of the most efficient and cost-effective method. In the present study, industrial effluent wastreated with various bio-adsorbents obtained from orange peels, cotton, neem tree bark. Effect of adsorptionon parameters like pH, COD, BOD, TDS and TSS were determined and their results were compared withcommercial grade activated charcoal. For majority of the parameters, the effectiveness of adsorbent varied as:activated charcoal > tree bark-based adsorbent > cotton-based adsorbent > orange peels-based adsorbent.Effect of pretreatment- acid treatment- was also examined for cotton and tree bark-based adsorbent.Phosphoric acid was proven to be better acid for pretreatment in comparison with sulfuric acid. For tree barkbased adsorbent treated with phosphoric acid, % removal for COD, BOD, TDS and TSS were 46.5 %, 57.06%, 35.51% and 90.43% respectively

Two-stage partial nitrification-denitrification and anammox process for nitrogen removal in vacuum collected toilet wastewater at ambient temperature

Vacuum collected toilet wastewater (VCTW) contains high and fluctuating contents of organics and nitrogen, which exerts technological challenges to biological treatment processes. A partial nitrification–denitrification and anammox (PND-AMX) process was developed in sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) to achieve effective nitrogen removal in VCTW at low ambient temperature. Stable PND was achieved, and nitrogen removal efficiency in SBR could be manipulated by adjusting influent COD/N ratios. As temperature ≥18 °C, 91.0% nitrogen was removed in PND-AMX process. In spite of the decreased anammox activity at 13–18 °C, more than 90% nitrogen removal could be obtained by adjusting SBR influent COD/N to 2.43 ± 0.32 with methanol. In MBBR reactor, Candidatus Kuenenia was the dominant anammox bacteria and contributed to more than 90% nitrogen removal capacity. Co-existing anammox and denitrifying bacteria synergistically contributed to the removal of ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, and COD in MBBR.

Enhanced biodegradation of lignin and lignocellulose constituents in the pulp and paper industry black liquor using integrated magnetite nanoparticles/bacterial assemblage

The study was designed to explore the efficiency of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs)/bacterial cell assembly to biodegrade lignin and lignocellulose, decontaminate pulp and paper-contaminated wastewater and optimize lignin adsorption by Fe3O4 NPs. Water samples were collected from three paper and carton manufacturing companies, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt. Pseudomonas otitidis MCC10330, the most active and promising strain among 10 previously screened indigenous and exogenous isolates, was selected and decorated with magnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles, that were prepared by the co-precipitation method, characterized and used to decontaminate paper and pulp effluent in a batch mode bioassay for 4 h. Fe3O4 NPs/bacterial cell assembly achieved the highest removals (64.1, 52.0, 54.3 and 66.6%) of TSS, COD, BOD, and Total Tannin and Lignin after 1, 4 and 4 h, reaching residual concentrations (RCs) of 322, 216, 112 and 7 mg/L, which are still slightly higher (5.35, 2.7 and 1.86-fold) than their maximum permissible limits (MPLs), respectively. RCs of pH, DO and TDS in the treated effluent are accepted for safe discharging. Maximum lignin adsorption and removal (82.14%) using Fe3O4 NPs was achieved at the optimized conditions (pH 6, Fe3O4 NPs dosage of 100 mg and 10 min contact time). Results confirmed that the proposed magnetite-coated Pseudomonas otitidis treatment system is highly efficient and recommended to treat the highly contaminated pulp and paper wastewater. Also, as far as we know, this integrated assemblage is the first time to be used as a novel, very promising, eco-friendly, renewable and economical biotechnological approach to minimize/eliminate the involved pollutants with the least running time.

Application of Cu@Cu foam and RuO2@Ti for removal of nitrogen compounds and organic matters from non-standard treated municipal wastewater by continuous electrochemical process: Optimization and mechanism

Public health, potable water supplies, and ecosystems are endangered by the disposal or reuse of non-standard effluents of wastewater treatment plants. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6) and USEPA quality standards, this work utilized an innovative electrochemical technique with continuous flow. Cu@Cu foam and RuO2@Ti were prepared for NO3 reduction and NH4 and COD oxidation, respectively. The characterization of electrodes was performed by XRD, EDS, FTIR, FE-SEM, and CV analysis. The effects of parameters including NH4 concentration (10–30 mg N/L), NO3 concentration (4–12 mg N/L), current (0.5–1.5 A), and Cl- concentration (100–400 mg/L) were examined for the removal of NH4, NO3, and COD. Characterization results confirmed that Cu and RuO2 were successfully coated on the surface of electrodes. Operating parameters were optimized using response surface methodology. The ideal conditions for current, Cl- concentration, and HRT were 1.5 A, 347.7 mg/L, and 120 min, respectively for concentrations of 9 mg /L NO3-N, 30 mg/L NH4-N, and 30 mg/L COD. Under these conditions, NO3-N, NH4-N, and COD removal efficiencies were 78 %, 97.8 %, and 61.2 %, respectively. The proposed electrochemical process was a sustainable technology for the concurrently removal nitrogen and carbon with advantages including environmental compatibility, versatility merits, and simplicity.

Leaching behavior of microplastics during sludge mechanical dewatering and its effect on activated sludge

Dewatering is an indispensable link in sludge treatment, but its effect on the microplastics (MPs) remains inadequately understood. This study investigated the physicochemical changes and leaching behavior of MPs during the mechanical dewatering of sludge, as well as the impact of MP leachates on activated sludge (AS). After sludge dewatering, MPs exhibit rougher surfaces, decreased sizes and altered functional groups due to the addition of dewatering agents and the application of mechanical force. Meanwhile, plastic additives, depolymerization products, and derivatives of their interactions are leached from MPs during sludge dewatering process. The concentration of MP-based leachates in sludge is 2–25 times higher than that in water. The enhancement of pH and ionic strength caused by dewatering agents induces the release of MP leachates enriched with protein-like, fulvic acid-like, and soluble microbial by-product-like substances. The reflux of MP leachates in sludge dewatering liquor to the wastewater treatment system negatively impacts AS, leading to a decrease in COD removal rate and inhibition of the extracellular polymeric substances secretion. More importantly, MP leachates cause oxidative stress to microbial cells and alter the microbial community structure of AS at the phylum and genus levels. These findings confirm that MPs undergo aging and leaching during sludge dewatering process, and MP leachates may negatively affect the wastewater treatment system.

Advanced Treatment: Tackling Paracetamol with Fenton Oxidation and Membrane Hybrid Processes

Paracetamol (PCT) in aquatic environments has become a global concern due to its potential harm to humans and environments. However, conventional water treatment was only able to degrade PCT partially. It was necessary to treat PCT contaminated water with tertiary technologies in particular by combination approach, such as Fenton oxidation and membrane filtration process. This combined approach enabling mitigation of large chemical footprint and iron residue associated with Fenton oxidation, as well as reducing fouling tendency of the membrane. The aim of this study was to evaluate the PCT removal efficiency by hybrid technology Fenton oxidation and membrane filtration. The membrane performance during the filtration process was also analyzed. As an important parameter for Fenton process, concentration of H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ with ratio of 1:0.5 resulted in optimal removal of 45% PCT in terms of COD removal. However, separation using flat sheet Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration (UF) with constant flux of 120 L/m²·h resulted in insignificant of COD removal. Nevertheless, the UF process was able to remove up to 54% of Fe 2+ at pH in alkaline condition with 8.5. In addition, a decrease in membrane permeability down to 0.2 L/m²h/bar over time, according to the filtered specific volume during the UF process, indicates fouling of the UF membrane during the 120 minutes of filtration. While the combined approach does not show significant improvement in COD removal, it does help to reduce the chemical footprint of the process, which is an important factor for the applicability of the selected water treatment method.

Treatment and nutrient recovery from landfill leachate by sequential persulfate oxidation and struvite precipitation: An evaluation of technical feasibility.

The technical feasibility of advanced oxidation process, in particular persulfate (PS) oxidation followed by struvite precipitation for landfill leachate treatment and nutrient recovery has been depicted in the current study. Furthermore, the impact of activation of PS with thermal and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation techniques on COD removal efficiency is also investigated. A maximum COD removal efficiency of 96% is accomplished at 65°C together with supply of UV irradiation. The impact of persulfate dose, pH, and PS/65°C/UV system on COD and biodegradability is also illustrated in the current study. Additionally, decomposition rate constant values are also ascertained in the present study. Afterwards, nutrient recovery using struvite precipitation is carried out for sustainable utilization of resources. Preliminary treatment of leachate with PS/65°C/UV system is greatly conducive to recovering high quality struvite crystals. Besides, 94.9%, 83.5%, and 91.3% of PO43- -P, NH4+ -N, and Mg2+ recovery efficiency attained respectively at pH 9.5 and 1.2:1:1 molar ratio of Mg2+: NH4+-N: PO43--P. Additionally, all the nutrient recovery studies are validated using chemical equilibrium model Visual MINTEQ. Later, bioavailable fraction of PO43--P in the recovered struvite is also investigated for utilization as fertilizer. The presence of Cu and Zn in the recovered struvite precipitate enhanced its economic value as a fertilizer. Since Cu and Zn are vital micronutrients for growth of plants. The low soluble values of recovered struvite precipitate confirmed its utilization as slow releasing fertilizer.

Synergic treatment of domestic wastewater and food waste in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor demo plant: Process performance, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions

Ambient operation and large-scale demonstration have limited the implementation and evaluation of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for low-strength wastewater treatment. Here, we studied these issues at an AnMBR demo plant that treats domestic wastewater and food waste together at ambient temperatures (7–28 °C). At varied hydraulic retention times (HRTs, 8–42 h), the AnMBR achieved a COD removal efficiency and biogas production of 80.4% ± 3.9% and 66.5 ± 9.4 NL/m3-Influent, respectively. Moreover, a stable high membrane flux of 14.4 L/m2/h was reached. The electric energy consumption for the AnMBR operation was 0.269–0.433 kW·h/m3, and 49.4%–91.3% could be compensated by the electric energy produced from methane production. At an HRT of 10 h, the AnMBR system demonstrated an impressively low net electric energy consumption of merely 0.05 kW·h/m3, resulting in a net greenhouse gas emission of 0.015 CO2-eq/m3, cutting 85% compared to the conventional activated sludge process. Achievements in this study provide key parameters for the ambient operation of AnMBR and demonstrate that AnMBR is an energy-saving and low-carbon solution for low-strength wastewater treatment.