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Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge
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PPCPs removal by aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor
Xia Zhao1, Zhong-Lin Chen, Xiao-Chun Wang
1State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|July 21, 2014
Summary
Aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactors (GMBR) effectively remove some pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), but struggle with antibiotics like amoxicillin. The GMBR system also efficiently removes methanol, ammonia, and phosphorus.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Bioreactor Systems
Background:
- Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are emerging contaminants in wastewater.
- Conventional wastewater treatment methods show limited efficacy in removing PPCPs.
- Aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactors (GMBRs) offer a potential solution for advanced wastewater treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of GMBRs in treating wastewater contaminated with PPCPs.
- To evaluate the removal rates of specific antibiotics, antiphlogistics, methanol, and conventional organic matter.
- To understand the influence of granular sludge on treatment performance.
Main Methods:
- Application of an aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor (GMBR).
- Treatment of wastewater containing five antibiotic and antiphlogistic PPCPs.
- Monitoring of sludge granulation, mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), and removal rates of various pollutants.
- Gradual reduction of influent organic matter density.
Main Results:
- Rapid but unstable sludge granulation observed, exhibiting a dissolution-reunion dynamic equilibrium.
- High removal rates for prednisolone (98.46%) and naproxen (84.02%), moderate for ibuprofen (63.32%).
- Insignificant degradation of amoxicillin due to microbial resistance; varying PPCP removal based on chemical structure.
- High removal rates for CODCr (87.98%), NH3-N (>90%), and TP (>90%); effective methanol removal.
Conclusions:
- GMBRs show promise for removing certain PPCPs, particularly prednisolone and naproxen.
- Amoxicillin and similar antibiotics pose challenges for GMBR treatment due to microbial recalcitrance.
- The GMBR system demonstrates robust performance in removing organic matter, ammonia, and phosphorus under optimized conditions.
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