title: Economic and environmental sustainability of an AnMBR treating urban wastewater and organic fraction of municipal solid waste.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater (UWW) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) at ambient temperature in mild/hot climates. To this aim, power requirements, energy recovery from methane (biogas methane and methane dissolved in the effluent), consumption of reagents for membrane cleaning, and sludge handling (polyelectrolyte and energy consumption) and disposal (farmland, landfilling and incineration) were evaluated within different operating scenarios. Results showed that, for the operating conditions considered in this study, AnMBR technology is likely to be a net energy producer, resulting in considerable cost savings (up to €0.023 per m(3) of treated water) when treating low-sulphate influent. Life cycle analysis (LCA) results revealed that operating at high sludge retention times (70 days) and treating UWW jointly with OFMSW enhances the overall environmental performance of AnMBR technology.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació d'Enginyeria de l'Aigua i Medi Ambient, IIAMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: rutprejo@upv.es.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pretel
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació d'Enginyeria de l'Aigua i Medi Ambient, IIAMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: patmoiam@upv.es.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moñino
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació d'Enginyeria de l'Aigua i Medi Ambient, IIAMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: ngerobma@upv.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.affiliation: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria, Universitat de València, Avinguda de la Universitat s/n, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: m.victoria.ruano@uv.es.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Ruano
authors.affiliation: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria, Universitat de València, Avinguda de la Universitat s/n, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: aurora.seco@uv.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seco
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació d'Enginyeria de l'Aigua i Medi Ambient, IIAMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: jferrer@hma.upv.es.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D017745:Incineration; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012722:Sewage; D062611:Solid Waste; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008697:Methane; D012722:Sewage; D062611:Solid Waste; D013431:Sulfates; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Ambient temperature; Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR); Energy consumption; Life cycle analysis (LCA); Organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW); Urban wastewater (UWW)