TY - JOUR
T1 - Bacterial community structure and removal performances in IFAS-MBRs: A pilot plant case study
AU - Di Trapani, Daniele
AU - Cosenza, Alida
AU - Puglia, Anna Maria
AU - Capodici, Marco
AU - Mannina, Giorgio
AU - Ekama, George A.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The paper reports the results of an experimental campaign carried out on a University of Cape Town (UCT) integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant. The pilot plant was analysed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients removal, kinetic/stoichiometric parameters, membrane fouling and sludge dewaterability. Moreover, the cultivable bacterial community structure was also analysed. The pilot plant showed excellent COD removal efficiency throughout experiments, with average value higher than 98%, despite the slight variations of the influent wastewater. The achieved nitrification efficiency was close to 98% for most of the experiments, suggesting that the biofilm in the aerobic compartment might have sustained the complete nitrification of the influent ammonia, even for concentrations higher than 100 mg L-1. The irreversible resistance due to superficial cake deposition was the mechanism that mostly affected the membrane fouling. Moreover, it was noticed an increase of the resistance due pore blocking likely due to the increase of the EPSBound fraction that could derive by biofilm detachment. The bacterial strains isolated from aerobic tank are wastewater bacteria known for exhibiting efficient heterotrophic nitrificationâaerobic denitrification and producing biofilm.
AB - The paper reports the results of an experimental campaign carried out on a University of Cape Town (UCT) integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant. The pilot plant was analysed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients removal, kinetic/stoichiometric parameters, membrane fouling and sludge dewaterability. Moreover, the cultivable bacterial community structure was also analysed. The pilot plant showed excellent COD removal efficiency throughout experiments, with average value higher than 98%, despite the slight variations of the influent wastewater. The achieved nitrification efficiency was close to 98% for most of the experiments, suggesting that the biofilm in the aerobic compartment might have sustained the complete nitrification of the influent ammonia, even for concentrations higher than 100 mg L-1. The irreversible resistance due to superficial cake deposition was the mechanism that mostly affected the membrane fouling. Moreover, it was noticed an increase of the resistance due pore blocking likely due to the increase of the EPSBound fraction that could derive by biofilm detachment. The bacterial strains isolated from aerobic tank are wastewater bacteria known for exhibiting efficient heterotrophic nitrificationâaerobic denitrification and producing biofilm.
KW - Biological nutrients removal
KW - Enhanced biological phosphorus removal
KW - Environmental Engineering
KW - IFAS-MBR
KW - MBBR
KW - Membrane bioreactors
KW - WWTP
KW - Biological nutrients removal
KW - Enhanced biological phosphorus removal
KW - Environmental Engineering
KW - IFAS-MBR
KW - MBBR
KW - Membrane bioreactors
KW - WWTP
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10447/239510
UR - http://www.elsevier.com/inca/publications/store/6/2/2/8/7/1/index.htt
M3 - Article
VL - 198
SP - 122
EP - 131
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
SN - 0301-4797
ER -