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Membrane bioreactors for treating waste streams.

J A Howell1, T C Arnot, W Liu

  • 1University of Bath, Bath, UK. j.a.howell@bath.ac.uk

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|June 5, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) offer advantages for treating wastewater with high BOD. They effectively separate microorganisms from inorganic pollutants, enabling specialized organisms to treat refractory organics.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Wastewater treatment faces challenges with high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and mixed inorganic-organic pollutants.
  • Extreme pH and salinity from inorganic waste inhibit microbial growth, favoring only specialized organisms.
  • Refractory organics require specialized microbes that often cannot tolerate extreme inorganic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the inherent advantages of Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment.
  • To explore MBR designs for separating microorganisms from inorganic compounds while allowing organic permeation.
  • To propose and discuss membrane contactors in a multimembrane stripping system for treating acidic chlorinated wastes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of inherent advantages of Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs).
  • Description of two MBR designs for separating microorganisms from inorganic compounds.
  • Proposal and discussion of membrane contactors in a multimembrane stripping system.

Main Results:

  • MBRs offer high biomass loadings, lower sludge yields, and retention of specialized organisms.
  • MBRs can facilitate the separation of microorganisms from inhibitory inorganic compounds.
  • Specialized organisms, crucial for refractory organics, can be retained and protected within MBR systems.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane bioreactors present a viable solution for complex wastewater streams containing BOD and inhibitory inorganics.
  • Innovative MBR designs, including membrane contactors, can enhance the treatment of challenging industrial wastes like acidic chlorinated streams.

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