Design and startup of a membrane-biological-reactor system at a Ford-engine plant for treating oily wastewater.
A wastewater-treatment facility at Ford (Dearborn, Michigan) was recently upgraded from chemical de-emulsification to ultrafiltration (UF) followed by a membrane-biological reactor (MBR). This paper describes the design, startup, and initial operational performance of the facility. Primary findings are as follows: (1) the MBR proved resilient; (2) the MBR removed approximately 90% of chemical-oxygen demand (COD) after primary UF; (3) the removal of total Kjeldahl nitrogen by MBR appeared to be more sensitive to operating conditions than COD removal; (4) nitrification and denitrification were established in one month; (5) the MBR removed oil and grease and phenolics to below detection levels consistently, in contrast to widely fluctuating concentrations in the past; (6) permeate fluxes of the primary and MBR UF were adversely affected by inadvertent use of a silicone-based defoamer; and (7) zinc concentrations in the effluent increased, which might have been a result of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid used in membrane washing solutions and/or might have been within typical concentration ranges.
Kim
B R
BR
Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, Dearborn, Michigan 48121, USA. bkim@ford.com
Anderson
J E
JE
Mueller
S A
SA
Gaines
W A
WA
Szafranski
M J
MJ
Bremmer
A L
AL
Yarema
G J
GJ
Guciardo
C D
CD
Linden
S
S
Doherty
T E
TE
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D003073:Cognitive Dissonance; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000379:methods; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009566:Nitrates; D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical