TY - JOUR
T1 - Innovative encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membrane bioreactor (ESFDMBR) for efficient wastewater treatment and fouling control
AU - Castrogiovanni, Fabiano
AU - Borea, Laura
AU - Corpuz, Mary Vermi Aizza
AU - Buonerba, Antonio
AU - Vigliotta, Giovanni
AU - Ballesteros, Florencio J.
AU - Hasan, Shadi W.
AU - Belgiorno, Vincenzo
AU - Naddeo, Vincenzo
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding is acknowledged from: i) University of Salerno (projects: ORSA199472 , and ORSA171073 ); ii) Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Department of Science and Technology , and Ministry of Science and Technology of India Government (project: IN17GR09 / INT / Italy / P-17/2016 (SP)); iii) Philippines-Diliman University and Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) (Ph.D. Scholarship Grant and Sandwich Program awarded to Mary Vermi Aizza Corpuz); iv) Italian Ministry of University and Research - MIUR (PhD Scholarship “Innovative research doctorates with industrial characterization” PON R&I 2014-2020 awarded to Fabiano Castrogiovanni).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/1/20
Y1 - 2022/1/20
N2 - The concept of a novel living encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membranes (ESFDM) for an innovative wastewater treatment in membrane bioreactor (MBR) is presented in the current study. The active filtering membrane is encapsulated, and thus stabilized, between two support meshes with pore in micrometer size. The combination of activated sludge, the ESFDM and the cake layer formed external to the filtering module contributed to the treatment of municipal wastewater. COD concentration reductions (average value of 95.55 ± 1.44%) by ESFDM bioreactor (ESFDMBR) were comparable to those obtained with a previously reported membrane bioreactor (MBR), where a conventional membrane was studied under the same operating conditions. The ESFDMBR, compared to the conventional MBR, obtained higher reductions of NH3-N, NO3–N and PO43–P concentrations. Increased removals of nitrogen-containing nutrients were ascribed to anoxic conditions reached in the ESFDM layer protected from the aeration by the external cake layer. Rate of increase of transmembrane pressure (TMP) per day in the ESFDMBR (0.03 kPa/day) was lower than the value obtained in the previously reported conventional MBR (8.08 kPa/day). Lower concentrations of fouling precursors in combination with the effective filtration capacity of the porous living ESFDM resulted in the reduction of the fouling rate. Analysis of microbiological community revealed that the microbial community structures in the mixed liquor and ESFDM were different. The ESFDM layer promoted growth of bacteria as indicated by the higher total cell count and higher microbial diversity compared to those observed in the mixed liquor.
AB - The concept of a novel living encapsulated self-forming dynamic bio-membranes (ESFDM) for an innovative wastewater treatment in membrane bioreactor (MBR) is presented in the current study. The active filtering membrane is encapsulated, and thus stabilized, between two support meshes with pore in micrometer size. The combination of activated sludge, the ESFDM and the cake layer formed external to the filtering module contributed to the treatment of municipal wastewater. COD concentration reductions (average value of 95.55 ± 1.44%) by ESFDM bioreactor (ESFDMBR) were comparable to those obtained with a previously reported membrane bioreactor (MBR), where a conventional membrane was studied under the same operating conditions. The ESFDMBR, compared to the conventional MBR, obtained higher reductions of NH3-N, NO3–N and PO43–P concentrations. Increased removals of nitrogen-containing nutrients were ascribed to anoxic conditions reached in the ESFDM layer protected from the aeration by the external cake layer. Rate of increase of transmembrane pressure (TMP) per day in the ESFDMBR (0.03 kPa/day) was lower than the value obtained in the previously reported conventional MBR (8.08 kPa/day). Lower concentrations of fouling precursors in combination with the effective filtration capacity of the porous living ESFDM resulted in the reduction of the fouling rate. Analysis of microbiological community revealed that the microbial community structures in the mixed liquor and ESFDM were different. The ESFDM layer promoted growth of bacteria as indicated by the higher total cell count and higher microbial diversity compared to those observed in the mixed liquor.
KW - Biofilm
KW - Dynamic membrane
KW - Membrane bioreactor
KW - Membrane fouling
KW - Microbial community
KW - Turbidity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115019186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150296
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150296
M3 - Article
C2 - 34536877
AN - SCOPUS:85115019186
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 805
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 150296
ER -