Environmental Science and Pollution Research

, Volume 24, Issue 10, pp 9026–9035 | Cite as

Fouling analysis of membrane bioreactor treating antibiotic production wastewater at different hydraulic retention times

  • Dawei Yu
  • Yutao Chen
  • Yuansong Wei
  • Jianxing Wang
  • Yawei Wang
  • Kun Li
Eco-aquaculture, sustainable development and public health
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Membrane fouling, including foulants and factors, was investigated during hydraulic retention time (HRT) optimization of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) that treated wastewater from the production of antibiotics. The results showed that HRT played an important role in membrane fouling. Trans-membrane pressure (TMP), membrane flux, and resistance were stable at −6 kPa, 76 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, and 4.5 × 1012 m−1 when HRT was at 60, 48, and 36 h, respectively. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, foulants were identified as carbohydrates and proteins, which correlated with effluent organic matter and effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) compounds. Therefore, membrane fouling trends would benefit from low supernatant COD (378 mg L−1) and a low membrane removal rate (26 %) at a HRT of 36 h. Serious membrane fouling at 72 and 24 h was related to soluble microbial products and extracellular polymeric substances in mixed liquor, respectively. Based on the TMP decrease and flux recovery after physical and chemical cleaning, irremovable fouling aggravation was related to extracellular polymeric substances’ increase and soluble microbial products’ decrease. According to changes in the specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) and mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSSs) during HRT optimization in this study, antibiotic production wastewater largely inhibited MLSS growth, which only increased from 4.5 to 5.0 g L−1 when HRT was decreased from 72 to 24 h, but did not limit sludge activity. The results of a principal component analysis highlighted both proteins and carbohydrates in extracellular polymeric substances as the primary foulants. Membrane fouling associated with the first principal component was positively related to extracellular polymeric substances and negatively related to soluble microbial products. Principal component 2 was primarily related to proteins in the influent. Additional membrane fouling factors included biomass characteristics, operational conditions, and feed characteristics.

Keywords

Fouling Foulant HRT Effluent organic matter Extracellular polymeric substances Soluble microbial product Correlation analysis Principal component analysis 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment of China (Nos. 2012ZX07203-002 and 2015ZX07203-005) is highly appreciated, as is support from the National High-Technology Research and Development Program (“863” Program) of China (No. 2009AA063901).

Author contributions

Yutao Chen contributes equally with Dawei Yu. All authors contributed to the writing of this manuscript and have approved the final version of this manuscript.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplementary material

11356_2015_5751_MOESM1_ESM.doc (870 kb)
ESM 1 (DOC 869 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dawei Yu
    • 1
    • 2
  • Yutao Chen
    • 1
    • 2
  • Yuansong Wei
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  • Jianxing Wang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Yawei Wang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Kun Li
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
  2. 2.Department of Water Pollution Control Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
  3. 3.Beijing Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, Research Center for Eco-Environmental SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina

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