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Membrane Water Treatment
  Volume 10, Number 5, September 2019 , pages 331-338
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/mwt.2019.10.5.331
 


Membrane fouling and sludge characteristics in submerged membrane bioreactor under low temperature
Yuan Yuan and Jianqiao Zhang

 
Abstract
    This study aimed to investigate the membrane fouling and sludge characteristics in a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) operated under low temperature (7 degree Celcius) To elucidate the mechanisms of membrane fouling at low temperature, we studied the correlation between MBR performances and physicochemical properties of sludge including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), relative hydrophobicity (RH) and floc size during long-term operation. The MBR was shown able to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD) stably and efficiently (>90 %) in the case of overgrowth of filamentous bacteria (bulking sludge) at low temperature. On the other hand, the occurrence of filamentous bulking greatly accelerated membrane fouling, as indicated by membrane filtration period of 14 days for filamentous bulking at 7 degree Celcius, in comparison with that of 27 days for non-bulking sludge at 24 degree Celcius. The overgrowth of filamentous bacteria resulting from low-temperature condition led to an increased release of EPS, higher RH, smaller floc size and lower fractal dimension of sludge. These factors accelerated the formation of compact cake layer on membrane surface in association with performance diminution in terms of increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the membrane and thus the decrease in membrane permeability.
 
Key Words
    membrane bioreactor; membrane fouling; sludge bulking; low temperature; extracellular polymeric substances; hydrophobicity
 
Address
Yuan Yuan: College of Bioengineering, Beijing Polytechnic, Beijing, China, 100176
Jianqiao Zhang: Environmental Protection and Water Affairs Bureau, Luohu District, Shenzhen, China, 518007
 

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