title: Design and startup of a membrane-biological-reactor system at a Ford-engine plant for treating oily wastewater.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, Dearborn, Michigan 48121, USA. bkim@ford.com
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gaines
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Szafranski
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bremmer
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Yarema
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Guciardo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Doherty
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009566:Nitrates; D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical