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Submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor for low-concentration domestic sewage treatment: performance and membrane fouling

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Abstract

A submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) was used to treat low-concentration domestic sewage. The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic load (OLR) on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, methanogenesis, and membrane fouling of the system were investigated. The SAnMBR achieved good COD removal efficiency as well as stable methane production, which were significantly affected by both OLR and HRT. The influent dissolved organic matter (DOM) was decomposed and transformed over time, and DOM concentration was gradually reduced. It can be inferred that the SAnMBR can effectively intercept the production of extracellular polymeric substances and improve effluent quality. The phenomenon of membrane fouling was investigated using various analytical tools. Results demonstrated that the SAnMBR was achieved good transmembrane pressures (TMP) (10–15 kPa), and the hydraulic force generated by the stirring device has a dynamic physical shearing action on the surface of the membrane, which can partly alleviate membrane fouling.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to express my sincere gratitude to the financial support of China’s “13th Five-Year Plan” for Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (2017ZX07102004-005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijng University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China

    Jianwei Liu, Hongyu Tian, Xuewei Chen, Song Xu & Xinyue Kang

  2. Beijing Research Center of the sustainable urban drainage system and risk control, Beijng University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China

    Jianwei Liu, Hongyu Tian, Xuewei Chen, Song Xu & Xinyue Kang

  3. China Railway 16 Bureau Group Metro Engineering Co. Ltd., Beijing, 100124, China

    Xinrong Luan

  4. Xinkai Water Environment Investment Co., Beijing, 101101, China

    Xiao Zhou

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  1. Jianwei Liu
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Correspondence to Jianwei Liu.

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Liu, J., Tian, H., Luan, X. et al. Submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor for low-concentration domestic sewage treatment: performance and membrane fouling. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 6785–6795 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07135-1

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