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Influence of the Sludge Retention Time on Membrane Fouling in an Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) Treating Lipid-Rich Dairy Wastewater

Journal Article (2022)
Author(s)

M. Szabo Corbacho (TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay)

Santiago Pacheco-Ruiz (Veolia Water Technologies)

Diana Míguez (Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay)

Christine Maria Hooijmans (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)

Damir Brdjanovic (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

Hector A. Garcia (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)

J.B. van Lier (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering)

Research Group
Sanitary Engineering
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030262
More Info
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Publication Year
2022
Language
English
Research Group
Sanitary Engineering
Issue number
3
Volume number
12
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Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of sludge retention time (SRT) on the membrane filtration performance of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) fed lipid-rich synthetic dairy wastewater. The membrane filtration performance was evaluated in two AnMBR systems operated at two different SRTs, i.e., 20 and 40 days. For the AnMBR operated at 40 days, SRT exhibited worse membrane filtration performance characterized by operational transmembrane pressures (TMP) exceeding the maximum allowed value and high total resistances to filtration (Rtotal). The sludge in the two reactors evaluated at the different SRTs showed similar sludge filterability properties. However, the sludge in the reactor operated at 40 days SRT was characterized by exhibiting the highest concentrations of: (i) total suspended solids (TSS), (ii) small-sized particles, (iii) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), (iv) soluble microbial products (SMP), (v) fats, oils and grease (FOG), and (vi) long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). The cake layer resistance was the major contributor to the overall resistance to filtration. The high TSS concentration observed in the AnMBR systems apparently contributed to a less permeable cake layer introducing a negative effect on the membrane filtration performance.