Comparison between a submerged membrane bioreactor and a conventional activated sludge system on treating ammonia-bearing inorganic wastewater.
A submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) and a conventional activated sludge system (CAS) were compared in parallel over a period of 210 days on treating synthetic ammonia-bearing inorganic wastewater under similar conditions. Except for a short period of pH control failure, almost complete conversion of NH(4)(+)?N to NO(3)(-)?N was constantly achieved over an NH(4)(+)?N concentration range from 180 to 1300mgl(-1) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24h in the SMBR, compared to an average conversion ratio of 95.0% in the CAS. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) demonstrated the accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in the SMBR. Ubiquinone-8 (UQ-8), followed by UQ-10, UQ-7 and UQ-9, was the dominant ubiquinone in both the systems. The dominant menaquinone in the SMBR was menaquinone-6 (MK-6), while that in the CAS was MK-7, indicating that some differences existed between the two systems in terms of microbial community structure. Soluble microbial products (SMPs) tended to accumulate, and then biodegrade in SMBR.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
Mengchun
M
Gao
Min
M
Yang
Hongyan
H
Li
Qingxiang
Q
Yang
Yu
Y
Zhang
D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology*; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000641:Ammonia