title: A two-stage microbial fuel cell and anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactor (MFC-AFMBR) system for effective domestic wastewater treatment.
abstract: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for energy-efficient domestic wastewater treatment, but the effluent quality has typically not been sufficient for discharge without further treatment. A two-stage laboratory-scale combined treatment process, consisting of microbial fuel cells and an anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactor (MFC-AFMBR), was examined here to produce high quality effluent with minimal energy demands. The combined system was operated continuously for 50 days at room temperature (∼25 °C) with domestic wastewater having a total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) of 210 ± 11 mg/L. At a combined hydraulic retention time (HRT) for both processes of 9 h, the effluent tCOD was reduced to 16 ± 3 mg/L (92.5% removal), and there was nearly complete removal of total suspended solids (TSS; from 45 ± 10 mg/L to <1 mg/L). The AFMBR was operated at a constant high permeate flux of 16 L/m(2)/h over 50 days, without the need or use of any membrane cleaning or backwashing. Total electrical energy required for the operation of the MFC-AFMBR system was 0.0186 kWh/m(3), which was slightly less than the electrical energy produced by the MFCs (0.0197 kWh/m(3)). The energy in the methane produced in the AFMBR was comparatively negligible (0.005 kWh/m(3)). These results show that a combined MFC-AFMBR system could be used to effectively treat domestic primary effluent at ambient temperatures, producing high effluent quality with low energy requirements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 212 Sackett Building, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
authors.forename: Lijiao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yongtae
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D011312:Pressure; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008697:Methane; D062065:Wastewater