title: Performance assessment of a submerged membrane bioreactor using a novel microbial consortium.
abstract: The performance of a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) with and without a novel microbial consortium (NMBR vs. CMBR) was compared to provide deeper insights into the effects of changes in water quality and dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics by a novel microbial consortium on the fouling characteristics of MBR processes. Despite similar operating conditions and identical DOM properties in the feed waters, NMBR exhibited a lower propensity to release polysaccharide-like compounds with low molecular weight by bacterial activities compared to CMBR. These compounds have a great fouling potential for MBR processes. Therefore, an increase in the transmembrane pressure (TMP) of NMBR (normalized TMP (TMP/TMP0): 1.14) was much slower and less significant than that observed in CMBR (TMP/TMP0: 2.61). These observations imply that the novel microbial consortium can efficiently mitigate membrane fouling by hydrophilic DOM in MBR processes.
authors.affiliation: Jeju Global Research Center (JGRC), Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), 200 Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do 63357, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kangmin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.affiliation: School of Water Resources, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyungpyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Water Resources, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: amjang@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Am
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011145:Polyvinyls; D011312:Pressure; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011145:Polyvinyls; D062065:Wastewater; C033942:Amberlite XAD-8; C012101:XAD-4 resin
keywords: Dissolved organic matter; Foulant characteristics; Membrane bioreactor; Novel microbial consortium; Wastewater treatment