The Potential of Membrane Bioreactors for
Wastewater Treatment
S. Malamis1, A. Andreadakis1 & D. Mamais1
1Laboratory
of Sanitary Engineering
School of Civil Engineering
National Technical University of Athens
1st International Conference on Sustainable
Urban Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Nicosia 15-16th September 2005
Presentation Aim & Layout
Aims
To assess the feasibility of Membrane
Bioreactors (MBR) in Greece
To examine state-of-the-art research in the
field of secondary treatment of municipal
wastewater using MBR technology
Layout
Basics on MBR for wastewater treatment
Examination of two full-scale MBR applications
Adoption of MBR technology in Greece
State-of-the-art research
Basics on MBR
Employ biological reactor and
membrane filtration as a unified
system for the secondary treatment
of wastewater
Membranes perform the separation
of the final effluent from the biomass
through filtration
Filtration takes place by the
application of a pressure gradient
Process Basics
DN
discharge
SCT
SS
conventional technology
membrane technology
effluent
SS
Deni
Nitri
UF not
Sec. Clarif.
Process Basics
sludge floc
water
dis. solids
membrane
bacteria
viruses
suction
kinet. energy
Submerged MBR System
Module
Feed
Back pulse
Permeate
Cleaning
chemicals
aeration
ZeeWeed
Aeration
effluent
BP Tank
Re-circulation
SS
Assessment of MBR Technology
Advantages
High effluent quality
No sludge settling problems
Reduced volume requirements
Disadvantages
Membrane fouling
Increased operational costs
Full-Scale WWTP in Germany (1)
P.E. = 80,000 Largest
MBR full-scale
installation in the world
4 parallel biological
reactors:
Anoxic zone
Swing zone
Aerobic zone with
immersed membranes
SRT = 25 days
MLSS = 10-15 g/l
192 cassettes (8
parallel trains)
Total filtration area =
84,480m2
Full-Scale WWTP in Germany (2)
Parameter
SS (mg/l)
Final Effluent
Non detectable
COD (mg/l)
BOD5 (mg/l)
NH4+-N (mg/l)
15-20
<3
<1
TN (mg/l)
TP (mg/l)
Total Coliforms / 100 ml
5-10
0.7
<100
Fecal Coliforms /2000 ml
<500
Salmonella /1000 ml
Final Effluent disposed to a sensitive river
Full-Scale WWTP in Italy (1)
Consists of 3 parallel lines
Lines A & C: Conventional Lines
Line B: Upgraded from conventional to MBR system
Total P.E. = 380,000
Upgrading of Line B to MBR increased its capacity from 12,200
m3/d to 42,000 m3/d within the same space
MLSS = 6.5-10 g/l
SRT > 20 d
Full-Scale WWTP in Italy (2)
Parameter
MBR Effluent
mg/l (%)
Conventional
Effluent
mg/l (%)
SS (mg/l)
<2 (99)
25 (73.2)
BOD5 (mg/l)
4 (95.8)
19 (82.3)
COD (mg/l)
27 (88.5)
66 (77.2)
TN (mg/l)
9.2 (73.7)
15.9 (54.5)
TP (mg/l)
2.4 (36.1)
3.4 (8.6)
Conclusions from the examination
of full-scale installations (1)
Full-scale MBR provide a superior effluent quality
compared to conventional methods
The final effluent can meet the requirements of the
Urban Wastewater Directive 91/271/EEC even for
P.E. >100,000 with disposal to sensitive recipients
(TN <10 mg/l, TP < 1mg/l)
Final effluent conforms to the microbiological
requirements for bathing waters (Directive
76/160/EEC), without the need for further
disinfection with chlorine or ozone
Conclusions from the examination
of full-scale installations (1)
Enhance reuse options of secondary
effluent
However:
the stricter microbiological criteria for
agricultural reuse are not met and further
disinfection is required
Main barrier to their wider full-scale
adoption is the high operational cost and
the lack of economies of scale
Adoption of full-scale MBR in Greece
Currently there is no full-scale MBR system
It is an attractive solution for arid and semiarid regions and islands characterized by:
Water scarcity
Small/Medium P.E.
Coastal zones and seas of high aesthetic value
Limited land availability
Large seasonal changes in populations
State-of-the-art Research
MBR technology has resulted in
multidiscipline research, since it
brings together the topics of system
design and construction,
hydrodynamics, chemistry and
microbiology.
This work focuses on the topics of:
Membrane fouling
System microbiology
Membrane Fouling (1)
Biofouling is the dominant type of
membrane fouling in MBRs
Definition: the undesirable deposition
and accumulation of microorganisms,
EPS and cell debris
Main operating problem impeding the
widespread adoption of MBR to fullscale plants
Membrane Fouling (2)
Biofilm develops due to the following
mechanisms:
Adsorption of macromolecules
Adhesion of micro-molecules which are
easily attached from the liquid under
suspension to the membranes surface
Creation of colonies and growth of
micro-organisms on and within the
biofilm
Detachment mechanisms attributed
mainly to shear forces
Main Parameters Influencing Fouling (3)
Membrane parameters
Configuration
Material
Pore Size
Hydrophobicity
Operating Parameters
HRT/SRT
Aeration system
TMP and flux
Biomass
characteristics
EPS
SMP
MLSS
The degree of influence of
each biomass characteristic
varies depending on the
operating conditions and
particularly SRT
Research is often
contradictory
No universally adopted
relationships relating
fouling to its main
influencing parameters
Promising research areas related to
membrane fouling (4)
Modeling the development of biofilm (determining
thickness, concentration gradient of nutrients and
DO etc)
Derive relationships describing the degree of fouling
with respect to operating and biomass
characteristics
The ultimate goal is to model long-term fouling
Examination of the influence of certain
additives (alum, zeolite, activated carbon)
on fouling
System Microbiology (1)
Sludge Filterability
Impacts on filtration and fouling
Improved sludge filterability retards the
degree of fouling and thus prolongs the life of
the membrane
Biomass characteristics
MBR produce 20-50% less sludge than
conventional systems as they operate at
higher SRT
Floc size depends on the SRT value and on the
MBR configuration
Presence of small flocs, single cells and freeswimming bacteria
Filamentous micro-organisms are favored
(absence of FST, low F/M ratios)
System Microbiology (2)
Organic & nutrient removal
Examined extensively through pilotplants and bench-scale experiments
Innovative processes have been tested
(e.g. use of a single reactor for
simultaneous nitr-denitr by maintaining
the DO level at 1mg/l)
Frequenncy of Occurrence (%)
80
70
COD
60
BOD5
NH4-N
50
40
30
20
10
0
75-80
80-85
85-90
90-95 95-97,5 97,5100
Removal Efficiency (%)
Frequency of Occurrence (%)
35
30
25
TN
20
15
10
5
0
50-60 60-70 70-80 80-85 85-90 90-95 95100
Removal Efficiency (%)
Promising research areas related
to microbiology (4)
Extensive analysis of the microbiology
and physiology of micro-organisms which
develop both in the liquid under
suspension and on the membrane
surface. Examination of the differences
in the microbial populations
Determine the influence of certain
factors (e.g. pH, organic loading, SRT)
on filterability
Conclusions
MBR technology is compatible with Greek
needs of wastewater treatment
Promising research themes:
Develop model that will predict long-term
fouling
Find cost effective additives which can reduce
fouling
Determine the operating factors which affect
filterability
Extensive microscopic analysis of the
biomass
