title: Integration of micro-filtration into osmotic membrane bioreactors to prevent salinity build-up.
abstract: The high salinity remains as one of major obstacles of the osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR). In this study, a new pathway was explored to prevent the salinity build-up by integrating the micro-filtration (MF) membrane to the OMBR (MF-OMBR). The results indicated that the salinity characterized by conductivity in the MF-OMBR was effectively alleviated and controlled at a lower value of about 5 mS/cm, and the stable flux of forward osmosis (FO) membrane correspondingly increased to approximately 5.5L/(m(2)h). Besides, the addition of MF membrane in the OMBR could increase the total organic carbon (TOC) and ammonium nitrogen (NH3-N) removals due to the activated sludge by improving the microbial activity. The membrane fouling especially the reversible fouling in the MF-OMBR was severer compared to that in the conventional OMBR, which resulted in a lower water flux than the expectation due to the increase of filtration resistance and external concentration polarization.
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China. Electronic address: xhwang@jiangnan.edu.cn.
authors: Xinhua
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Yuan
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
authors: Yao
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China. Electronic address: xfli@jiangnan.edu.cn.
authors: Xiufen
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
authors: Yueping
authors: Y
authors: Ren
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057219:Biofouling; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000032:analysis; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000191:economics; D002244:Carbon / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005374:Filtration / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009995:Osmosis; D054712:Salinity; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000032:analysis; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Forward osmosis; Membrane fouling; Micro-filtration; Osmotic membrane bioreactor; Salinity