title: Flux influence on membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor system under real conditions with urban wastewater.
abstract: In order to evaluate the effect of flux on membrane fouling, the performance of a bench-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) equipped with ultrafiltration membranes (ZENON) was investigated under real conditions at different flux rates. The pilot plant was located at the wastewater treatment plant of the city of Granada (Spain). Influent used in the experiments came from the primary settling tank. Assays carried out under different operating conditions indicated that dTMP/dt increased in accordance with the increase in flux. The results showed a significant impact on the rate of transmembrane pressure, while the behavior of membrane fouling was logarithmic with respect to the flux. These findings could be of some importance for understanding the behavior of the membrane, since over 20.57 L m(-2) h(-1) the flux rate produced a significant increase in transmembrane pressure. The data therefore suggest that an increase in the net flux significantly affects membrane fouling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. jpoyatos@ugr.es
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Poyatos
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molina-Munoz
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Lopez
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hontoria
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000295:instrumentation; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014873:Water Pollutants