Fe3+对MBR减缓膜污染的研究进展

膜生物反应器(membrane bioreactor, MBR)作为一种高效的污水处理及回用工艺,比传统的活性污泥法具有更多优势。然而,膜污染问题是限制其广泛应用的关键性问题。众多研究者已证实Fe₃₊能有效的改善MBR中混合液的可滤性及减缓膜污染。本文简述了MBR污泥混合液中主要污染物—胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances, EPSs),并总结Fe₃ 在去除混合液中污染物、减缓膜污染方面的效能及其对污泥混合液的影响。最后,对Fe₃ 在减缓MBR膜污染的未来研究方向进行展望。     

进水盐度对膜生物反应器运行效能的影响研究

进水盐度对膜生物反应器(MBR)的运行效能影响显著,尤其是进水含盐量为5 g/L时,明显恶化了污泥可滤性,膜污染速率加快;MBR混合液中溶解性微生物产物(SMP)和胞外聚合物(EPS)含量随钠离子浓度变化而变化,其中SMP中蛋白质含量与钠离子浓度密切相关;与紧密结合态EPS(TB)相比,钠离子含量对松散结合态EPS(LB)浓度的影响更大;不同盐度对COD及NH4+-N影响不明显,系统对COD及NH4+-N的去除效果稳定,分别保持在92%及94%以上,高盐度对MBR总磷去除率降低明显。     

Removal of sulfonamide antibiotics upon conventional activated sludge and advanced membrane bioreactor treatment

This work reports the removal efficiencies of nine sulfonamides (SAs) and one of their acetylated metabolites during conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatments. Two different types of membranes were studied, hollow-fiber membranes and flat-sheet membranes, in two separate pilot plants operating in parallel to a full-scale CAS treatment. A total of 48 water samples and 16 sewage sludge samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We obtained 100% elimination in the MBR effluents for three SAs (sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, and sulfamethoxypyridazine) and the metabolite. For the rest of the SAs, the removal efficiencies during CAS and MBR treatments were similar and usually below 55%. Sulfamethizole was the most recalcitrant SA, exhibiting negative removal efficiencies in all the treatments investigated. The concentrations of SAs in the different sewage sludge types were also calculated and ranged from 0.01 to 11 ng g(-1). Furthermore, adsorption and biodegradation of SAs in activated sludge were investigated in two sets of batch reactors, which were spiked at high and low concentration (1,000 and 50 ng mL(-1), respectively). All SAs followed a similar trend and, with the exception of sulfathiazole, were not fully eliminated after 25 days of treatment.     

Membrane adsorption bioreactor (MABR) for treating slightly polluted surface water supplies: As compared to membrane bioreactor (MBR)

In this paper, a submerged membrane adsorption bioreactor (MABR) was evaluated for drinking water treatment at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) as short as 0.5 h. As powdered activated carbon (PAC) was added to the bioreactor at 8 mg/L raw water, the MABR achieved much higher removal efficiency for organic matter in the raw water than the parallel-operated membrane bioreactor (MBR). Moreover, the trans-membrane pressure (TMP) of MABR developed much lower than that of MBR, demonstrating PAC in MABR could mitigate membrane fouling. It was also identified here that the removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in MABR was accomplished through the combination of three unit effects: rejection by ultrafiltration (UF) membrane, biodegradation by microorganism, and adsorption by PAC; the last was of great importance. A sludge layer was observed on the membranes surface in both MABR and MBR and PAC particles themselves constituted a part of the cake layer and helped to intercept DOM in the mixed liquor by adsorption in MABR, especially for organic molecules of 5000–500 Da. The UF membrane together with the sludge layer and PAC layer in the MABR was able to reject hydrophobic bases (HoBs), hydrophobic neutrals, hydrophobic acids (HoAs), weakly hydrophobic acids (WHoAs) and hydrophilic matter (HiM) in the mixed liquor by 40.0%, 43.9%, 71.8%, 56.6% and 35.9%, respectively.     

Improving the Performance of Membrane Bioreactors by Adding a Metabolic Uncoupler, 4-Nitrophenol

Effects of 4-nitrophenol (4NP) on the overall performance of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) were investigated in two bench-scale submerged MBRs. Positive impacts of 4NP on activated sludge production and membrane fouling were demonstrated over 45 days of stable operational period. After addition of 4-nitrophenol, the sludge production could be reduced effectively, but only a slight reduction in chemical oxygen demand removal was obtained. The effluent NH₄ ⁺-N concentrations were almost the same in two MBRs. The transmembrane pressures (TMPs) and resistance R increased with increasing mixed liquor suspended solid concentration at each MBR. The average daily TMP increase rates in the control MBR reactor remained at about 0.23 kPa day^?1 and dropped to about 0.12 kPa day^?1 in the 4NP-MBR. Compared with the control MBR, a wider dispersion and lower peak of floc size, a lower zeta potential, and a lower extracellular polymeric substance concentration were observed in the 4NP-MBR.     

大蒜素包埋球对MBR混合液可滤性影响解析

本研究采用大蒜素为原料,将其包埋在海藻酸钠中,制成大蒜素包埋球(allicin entrapping beads, AEBs)并投加至膜生物反应器(membrane bioreactor, MBR)中,以探讨大蒜素的群体淬灭(quorum quenching, QQ)效应对MBR污泥混合液可滤性的影响。实验结果表明：QQ作用对污泥混合液性质影响显著,对MBR污染物去除影响较小;混合液中胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances, EPS)和溶解性微生物代谢产物(soluble microbial products, SMP)含量降低;通过对修正污染指数(modified fouling index, MFI)检测表明,QQ可提高污泥混合液可滤性,该指标与胞外多糖浓度紧密相关。     

Virus rejection with two model human enteric viruses in membrane bioreactor system

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) with gravity drain was tested for virus rejection with two coliphages, T4 and f2, which were used as surrogates for human enteric viruses. Virus rejection was investigated by PVDF and PP membrane modules, with the pore sizes of 0.22 and 0.1 μm, respectively. In tap water system, 2.1 lg rejection of coliphage T4 could be achieved by PVDF membrane compared with complete rejection by PP membrane, while for coliphage f2 with smaller diameter, 0.3―0.5 lg rejection of the influent virus was removed by the two membranes. In domestic wastewater system, cake layer and gel layer on the membrane surface changed the cut-off size of the membrane so that there was no significant difference between PP and PVDF for each coliphage. The removal ratios of coliphage T4 and f2 in the MBR were more than 5.5 and 3.0 lg, respectively. Compared with 5.5 lg removal for virus T4 in the MBR system, only 2.1 lg (96.8%―99.9%) removal rate was observed in the conventional activated sludge system with the influent virus concentration fluctuating from 1830 to 57000 PFU/mL. Only 0.8%―22% virus removal was the effect of adsorption to activated sludge, which showed a decreasing tendency with the retention time, while 75%―98% was the effect of virus inactivation by microbial activity. It indicated that the major mechanism of virus removal was not the transfer of viruses from the water phase to the sludge phase but inactivation in the biological treatment process.     

A Novel Approach for Phosphorus Recovery and No Wasted Sludge in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Process with External COD Addition

In enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process, phosphorus (P) in wastewater is removed via wasted sludge without actual recovery. A novel approach to realize phosphorus recovery with special external chemical oxygen demand (COD) addition in EBPR process was proposed. During the new operating approach period, it was found that (1) no phosphorus was detected in the effluent; (2) with an external addition of 10 % of influent COD amount, 79 % phosphorus in the wastewater influent was recovered; (3) without wasted sludge, the MLVSS concentration in the system increased from 2,010 to 3,400 mg/L and kept stable after day 11 during 24-day operating period. This demonstrates that the novel approach is feasible to realize phosphorus recovery with no wasted sludge discharge in EBPR process. Furthermore, this approach decouples P removal and sludge age, which may enhance the application of membrane bioreactor for P removal.     

Use of submerged anaerobic–anoxic–oxic membrane bioreactor to treat highly toxic coke wastewater with complete sludge retention

Coke wastewater is an extremely toxic industrial effluent that requires treatment before discharge. A bench-scale, anaerobic–anoxic–oxic membrane bioreactor (A₁/A₂/O-MBR) system was utilized to treat real coke wastewater with complete sludge retention. In a 160-d test, the A₁/A₂/O-MBR system stably removed 87.9 ± 1.6% of chemical oxygen demand, 99.4 ± 0.3% of turbidity, and 99.7 ± 3.5% of NH₄⁺-N from coke wastewater. The membrane rejected almost all suspended solids; hence, a low food-to-microorganism environment was created to degrade refractory substances and reduce sludge production rates. The microbial diversity in the MBR system declined over time; however, neither pollutant removal efficiency nor total biological activity was adversely affected. Membrane fouling, which occurred during the operation of the MBR system, was principally resulted from the colloidal fraction of supernatant in suspension. Physical cleaning removed initial deposits of particles; however, prolonged operation resulted in severe clogging that can only be removed by chemical cleaning. An A₁/A₂/O-MBR system with short intermittent physical cleaning was recommended for coke wastewater treatment.     

Performance of an internal-loop airlift bioreactor for treatment of hexane-contaminated air

Hexane is a toxic volatile organic compound that is quite abundant in gas emissions from chemical industries and printing press and painting centers, and it is necessary to treat these airstreams before they discharge into the atmosphere. This article presents a treatment for hexane-contaminated air in steady-state conditions using an internal-loop airlift bioreactor inoculated with a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain. Bioprocesses were conducted at 20-mL/min, a load of 1.26 g/m³ of C₆H₁₄, and a temperature of 28°C. The results of hexane removal efficiencies were presented as a function of the inoculum size (approx 0.07 and 0.2 g/L) and cell reuse. Bioprocess monitoring comprises quantification of the biomass, the surface tension of the medium, and the hexane concentration in the fermentation medium as well as in the inlet and outlet airstreams. The steady-state results suggest that the variation in inoculum size from 0.07 to 0.2 g/L promotes hexane abatement from the influent from 65 to 85%, respectively. Total hydrocarbon removal from the waste gas was achieved during experiments conducted using reused cells at an initial microbial concentration of 0.2 g/L.     

Visualisation and characterisation of biopolymer clusters in a submerged membrane bioreactor

A laboratory wastewater treatment membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a submerged hollow-fibre membrane was used to investigate the major foulants in sludge mixtures. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with a triple fluorescent staining protocol, i.e., SYTO9 for microbial cells, ConA-TRITC lectin for polysaccharides and NanoOrange for proteins, was utilised to visualise the fouling materials. A pool of biopolymer clusters (BPCs) ranging from 2.5 to 60 μm in size was identified in the liquid phase of the MBR sludge and in the cake sludge on the membrane surface. According to the CLSM examination, BPC are free and independent organic solutes that are different from biomass flocs and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and much larger than soluble microbial products (SMP). Compared to EPS, BPC contain more polysaccharides and proteins and less humic substances. It is believed that BPC are an important foulant that interacts with biomass flocs to form the sludge fouling layer on the membrane. A filtration test observed with the CLSM shows that BPC are apparently formed by the adsorption and affinity clustering of SMP within the sludge deposited on the membrane surface. The cake sludge on the fouled membrane has a much higher BPC content (16.8 mg TOC/g SS) than the MBR bulk sludge (0.4 mg TOC/g SS). It is argued that BPC behave as a glue to facilitate the growth of an impermeable sludge cake on the membrane surface, thus resulting in serious MBR fouling. These CLSM findings provide the first direct evidence of the presence of BPC in MBR and illustrate their essential role in membrane fouling.     

Mitigated membrane fouling in a vertical submerged membrane bioreactor (VSMBR)

In a laboratory-scale study, characteristics of membrane fouling in an A/O (anoxic/oxic) series membrane bioreactor (MBR) and in a vertical submerged membrane bioreactor (VSMBR) treating synthetic wastewater were compared under the same operating conditions. Accordingly, fouling characteristics of a pilot-scale VSMBR treating municipal wastewater were studied under various operating conditions. Various physical, chemical, and biological factors were used to describe membrane resistances. As a result, it was concluded that high concentrations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), high viscosity and a high sludge volume index (SVI) corresponded to high membrane resistance indicating severe membrane fouling in both the laboratory-scale MBRs and the pilot-scale VSMBR. In addition, high fouling potential was observed in the pilot-scale VSMBR at 60-day sludge retention time (SRT). In this case, as hydraulic retention time (HRT) decreased from 10 to 4 h, EPS concentrations increased and the average particle size increased, leading to reduced settling of the sludge and increased membrane fouling. To mitigate fouling, two different methods using air bubble jets were adopted in the pilot-scale VSMBR. As a result, it was found that air backwashing was more efficient for fouling mitigation than was air scouring.     

Comparative study on ciprofloxacin removal in sulfur-mediated biological systems

The removal of ciprofloxacin(CIP) in sulfur-mediated bio processes,e.g.,sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB)-mediated process and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria(SOB)-mediated process,was examined for the first time.The results showed that the SRB-mediated process had more efficient CIP removal than that in SOB-mediated process.Adsorption was the primary removal pathway of CIP in SRB-mediated process and SOB-mediated process with the specific adsorption removal rate of 131.4±1.1 μg/g-SS/d and30.1±1.4 μg/g-SS/d,respectively,at influent CIP concentration of 500 μg/L.In addition,extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) also played an important role on CIP migration and removal in both types of sludge.Further study was conducted to specify the different adsorption of CIP in these two sludge systems from the perspective of sludge properties.The results indicated that there are more potential adsorption sites exist on the SRB-mediated sludge for CIP adsorption than SOB-mediated sludge since the higher protein(PN) content and more kinds of aromatic amino acid substances in EPS,more negative zeta-potential and stronger and more numbers of functional groups in SRB-mediated sludge compared to SOB-mediated sludge.The findings of this study provide insights into the sludge properties affecting CIP removal in sulfur-mediated bioprocesses,and are of guiding significance to employ sulfur-mediated biological systems for treating CIP-containing wastewaters.     

The (in)significance of apparent viscosity in full-scale municipal membrane bioreactors

Ten pilot and full-scale municipal membrane bioreactor (MBR) plants throughout Europe were investigated during the period 2007–2008 using the Delft Filtration Characterisation method. Next to information on filterability the data also contain the necessary information to determine the apparent viscosity of activated sludge. The aim of this study was to quantify variations in the apparent viscosity of activated sludge in pilot and full-scale municipal MBR plants and correlate them with membrane performance. A statistical analysis was carried out in order to quantify the significance of the correlations between apparent viscosity and activated sludge characteristics. The main factor influencing activated sludge's apparent viscosity was found to be total suspended solids. Temperature was found not to have a direct impact on apparent viscosity within the range of temperatures of the pilot and full-scale municipal MBR plants studied (9.7–27.4°C). In terms of the reversible fouling potential and membrane performance, activated sludge filterability and MBR plant membrane permeability were not statistically affected by activated sludge's apparent viscosity variations. Therefore, even if apparent viscosity plays a major role in terms of oxygen transfer efficiency, it is not relevant when optimising membrane fouling control and membrane performance of current, full-scale municipal MBR applications.     

Effect of Agitation Rate on Ethanol Production from Sugar Maple Hemicellulosic Hydrolysate by Pichia stipitis

Concentrated dilute acid hydrolysate was obtained from hot water extracts of Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and was fermented to ethanol by Pichia stipitis in a 1.3-L-benchtop bioreactor. The conditions under which the highest ethanol yield was achieved were when the air flow rate was set to 100?cm³ and the agitation rate was set to 150?rpm resulting in an overall mass transfer coefficient (K _L a) of 0.108?min^?1. A maximum ethanol concentration of 29.7?g/L was achieved after 120?h of fermentation; however, after 90?h of fermentation, the ethanol concentration was only slightly lower at 29.1?g/L with a yield of 0.39?g ethanol per gram of sugar consumed. Using the same air flow rate and adjusting the agitation rate resulted in lower ethanol yields of 0.25?g/g at 50?rpm and 0.30?g/g at 300?rpm. The time it takes to reach the maximum ethanol concentration was also affected by the agitation rate. The ethanol concentration continued to increase even after 130?h of fermentation when the agitation rate was set at 50?rpm, whereas the maximum ethanol concentration was reached after only 68.5?h at 300?rpm.     

Application of micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) for arsenic (v) removal from aqueous solutions and process optimization

In this study, the removal of arsenic was evaluated using micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration process. Response surface methodology and Box-Behnken matrix methods were also applied to design the experiments and determine the optimum conditions. Therefore, the main operational parameters including pH (4–10), initial concentration of arsenic (20–80?µg/L), and concentration of Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) (1–3?mM) were investigated. The results of analysis of variance revealed a good agreement between experimental data and the built model with the determination coefficient (R²) of 0.99. Accordingly, the removal efficiency obtained was about 94.8% at the optimal condition (pH?=?6.73, the initial concentration of arsenic?=?29.44?µg/L, and CTAB concentration of 2.83?mM).     

Effect of process parameters on production of a biopolymer by Rhizobium sp.

The production of biopolymers by a Rhizobium strain was studied under batch and bioreactor conditions. The best viscosity levels were obtained under low mannitol concentrations as well as low agitation and aeration conditions. Infrared spectra indicated the presence of chemical groups characteristic of microbially produced biopolymers, including C=O and O-acetyl groups. Thermogravimetric analysis showed the characteristic degradation profiles of the exopolysaccharide produced (T _onset=290°C). The experimental design showed that a low substrate concentration (10.0 g/L), and low aeration (0.2 vvm) and agitation (200 rpm) levels should be used. The maximum yield of the process was a Yp/s (g/g) of 0.19±0.1, obtained under optimized conditions.     

Characteristics of an Immobilized Yeast Cell System Using Very High Gravity for the Fermentation of Ethanol

The characteristics of ethanol production by immobilized yeast cells were investigated for both repeated batch fermentation and continuous fermentation. With an initial sugar concentration of 280?g/L during the repeated batch fermentation, more than 98% of total sugar was consumed in 65?h with an average ethanol concentration and ethanol yield of 130.12?g/L and 0.477?g ethanol/g consumed sugar, respectively. The immobilized yeast cell system was reliable for at least 10 batches and for a period of 28?days without accompanying the regeneration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inside the carriers. The multistage continuous fermentation was carried out in a five-stage column bioreactor with a total working volume of 3.75?L. The bioreactor was operated for 26?days at a dilution rate of 0.015?h^?1. The ethanol concentration of the effluent reached 130.77?g/L ethanol while an average 8.18?g/L residual sugar remained. Due to the high osmotic pressure and toxic ethanol, considerable yeast cells died without regeneration, especially in the last two stages, which led to the breakdown of the whole system of multistage continuous fermentation.     

Characteristics of aerobic biogranules from membrane bioreactor system

As a novel membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, membrane granular sludge bioreactor (called MGSBR) had not only good performance of pollutant degradation in synthetic wastewater, but also alleviated membrane fouling. The study on the stability of aerobic biogranules followed the investigation of MGSBR performance will pay more attraction and potential to this technology during the wastewater treatment in the future. Although the granules had smaller average diameter, poorer settleability and of a sort sludge activity with 2.0 mm of the average diameter, 70 ± 10 mL gSS⁻¹ of SVI and 0.83 of VSS/SS ratio, respectively, the results presented in this paper demonstrated that some characteristics of aerobic biogranules in MGSBR system were ultimately preserved. Changes in characteristics of aerobic biogranules were more or less associated with the overgrowth of filamentous bacteria (showed by SEM observation), which was a phenomenon occurred under the combined effects of continuous aeration mode, reduced DO concentration, long SRT and high EPS concentration in MGSBR. Much research should be performed in the future to control the overgrowth of filamentous bacteria in MGSBR system.     

Analysis of pharmaceuticals in wastewater and removal using a membrane bioreactor

Much attention has recently been devoted to the life and behaviour of pharmaceuticals in the water cycle. In this study the behaviour of several pharmaceutical products in different therapeutic categories (analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulators, antibiotics, etc.) was monitored during treatment of wastewater in a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR). The results were compared with removal in a conventional activated-sludge (CAS) process in a wastewater-treatment facility. The performance of an MBR was monitored for approximately two months to investigate the long-term operational stability of the system and possible effects of solids retention time on the efficiency of removal of target compounds. Pharmaceuticals were, in general, removed to a greater extent by the MBR integrated system than during the CAS process. For most of the compounds investigated the performance of MBR treatment was better (removal rates >80%) and effluent concentrations of, e.g., diclofenac, ketoprofen, ranitidine, gemfibrozil, bezafibrate, pravastatin, and ofloxacin were steadier than for the conventional system. Occasionally removal efficiency was very similar, and high, for both treatments (e.g. for ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, paroxetine, and hydrochlorothiazide). The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine was the most persistent pharmaceutical and it passed through both the MBR and CAS systems untransformed. Because there was no washout of biomass from the reactor, high-quality effluent in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium content (N-NH₄), total suspended solids (TSS), and total organic carbon (TOC) was obtained.