Membrane fouling mitigation by coagulation and electrostatic repulsion using an electro-AnMBR in kitchen wastewater...

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is considered an efficient technique for kitchen wastewater treatment; however, membrane fouling restricts their applicability. In this study, a novel AnMBR with an Fe anode and Ti membrane cathode (electro-AnMBR) was constructed. The reactor exhibited good performance in pollutant removal and antifouling in kitchen wastewater treatment. Compared with the traditional AnMBR, the electro-AnMBR increased phosphate removal by approximately 55% and reduced transmembrane pressure (TMP) by 50%. Coagulation from the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ released by the sacrificial anode increased the sludge floc size and porosity, significantly reducing the membrane fouling potential. In addition, the lower amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the electro-AnMBR, due to an increased Methanosarcina abundance, facilitated membrane-fouling mitigation. Almost no TMP difference was observed between the AnMBRs with Ti, ceramic, and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Quantitative analysis using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring indicated that the electrostatic repulsion between EPS and cathodic membrane was positively correlated with the applied voltage. In addition, proteins in EPS had a higher membrane fouling potential than polysaccharides, and Fe³⁺ coagulation reduced adhesion capacity and alleviated membrane fouling. This study provides a perspective viewpoint for AnMBR membrane fouling mitigation and reactor design.