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Updated: May 12, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Anaerobic biodegradation enables zero liquid discharge of two-stage nanofiltration system for microelectronic
Xianfeng Li1, Zhouyan Li1, Junhao Zhu2
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji Advanced Membrane Technology Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Abstract:
Nanofiltration (NF) is a promising technology in the treatment of microelectronic wastewater. However, the treatment of concentrate derived from NF system remains a substantial technical challenge, impeding the achievement of the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) goal in microelectronic wastewater industries. Herein, a ZLD system, coupling a two-stage NF technology with anaerobic biotechnology was proposed for the treatment of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)-contained microelectronic wastewater. The two-stage NF system exhibited favorable efficacy in the removal of conductivity (96 %), total organic carbon (TOC, 90 %), and TMAH (96 %) from microelectronic wastewater. The membrane fouling of this system was dominated by organic fouling, with the second stage NF membrane experiencing a more serious fouling compared to the first stage membrane. The anaerobic biotechnology achieved a near-complete removal of TMAH and an 80 % reduction in TOC for the first stage NF concentrate. Methyloversatilis was the key genus involved in the anaerobic treatment of the microelectronic wastewater concentrate. Specific genes, including dmd-tmd, mtbA, mttB and mttC were identified as significant players in mediating the dehydrogenase and methyl transfer pathways during the process of TMAH biodegradation. This study highlights the potential of anaerobic biodegradation to achieve ZLD in the treatment of TMAH-contained microelectronic wastewater by NF system.
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