title: Effect of organic matter to nitrogen ratio on membrane bioreactor performance.
abstract: Effect of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nitrogen (COD:N) ratio in feed on the performance of aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) for treating a synthetic high-strength industrial waste water containing glucose was studied for over 370 days. The widely recommended nutrients ratio (COD:N:P = 100:5:1) is not necessary for aerobic biological industrial waste water treatment. An increased COD:N ratio from 100:5 to 100:2.5 and 100:1.8 had a limited impact on COD removal efficiency and further led to a significant improvement in membrane performance, a reduced sludge yield, and improved effluent quality in terms of residual nutrients. An increased COD:N ratio will benefit the industrial waste water treatment using MBRs by reducing membrane fouling and sludge yield, saving chemical costs, and reducing secondary pollution by nutrients addition. Optimization of nutrients usage should be conducted for specific industrial waste water streams.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemical Engineering , Lakehead University , 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay , ON P7B 5E1 , Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: B Q
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D005947:Glucose; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D005947:Glucose; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009584:Nitrogen; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: COD removal; industrial waste water treatment; membrane fouling; nutrient requirements; sludge yield