title: The effect of organic loading on process performance and membrane fouling in a submerged membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater.
abstract: The results of experiments on municipal wastewater primary effluent are presented for a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR). The SMBR pilot plant employed an ultrafiltration membrane with a nominal pore size of 0.035 microm and was operated at a constant membrane flux of 30 L/m(2)h. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration was maintained at 8+/-2 g/L and steady-state fouling rates were determined for 10, 5, 4, 3, and 2-d MCRTs, corresponding to food-to-microorganism (F/M) ratios of 0.34, 0.55, 0.73, 0.84, and 1.41 gCOD/gVSS d, respectively. Membrane fouling rates increased as the F/M was increased. Steady-state membrane fouling rates were correlated with total soluble microbial products (SMP) concentrations. The membrane fouling rates did not correlate well with soluble COD measured on a 0.45 microm membrane filtrate of mixed liquor or with soluble COD rejection (effluent COD/soluble COD).
authors.affiliation: Trussell Technologies, Inc., 232 N. Lake Avenue, Ste. 300, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA. shane.trussell@trusselltech.com
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Trussell
authors.forename: Rion P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Slawomir W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hermanowicz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry; D019149:Bioreactors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000641:Ammonia