Wastewater reuse after treatment by MBR. Microfiltration or ultrafiltration?

Efficiency of two MBR systems (microfiltration and ultrafiltration) at producing reusable effluent was evaluated. The ultrafiltration MBR (0.034μm pore size) maintained recirculation sludge flow at six times the influent flow, and membranes were backwashed every 5minutes. The microfiltration MBR (0....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Desalination 2012-08, Vol.299, p.22-27
Main Authors: Arévalo, J., Ruiz, L.M., Parada-Albarracín, J.A., González-Pérez, D.M., Pérez, J., Moreno, B., Gómez, M.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Bacteria
bioactive properties
Chemical engineering
coliphages
color
desalination
Exact sciences and technology
General purification processes
guidelines
MBR
Membrane separation (reverse osmosis, dialysis...)
Microfiltration
Microorganisms
organic matter
particle size distribution
permeates
Pollution
Pore size
Porosity
Reuse
Safety
Sludge
Ultrafiltration
Wastewater reuse
Wastewaters
water reuse
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Efficiency of two MBR systems (microfiltration and ultrafiltration) at producing reusable effluent was evaluated. The ultrafiltration MBR (0.034μm pore size) maintained recirculation sludge flow at six times the influent flow, and membranes were backwashed every 5minutes. The microfiltration MBR (0.4μm pore size) maintained recirculation sludge flow at four times the influent flow, and membrane-relax was applied after the production phase. Permeates of both systems were shown to be suitable for unrestricted reuse (based on Spanish reuse guidelines); however their colour and aerobic bacteria concentration may lead to their rejection for certain purposes. The capacity of the MBR systems to eliminate organic matter depends on the biological activity in the active sludge, and it is not affected by the type of membrane. The concentration of coliphages is one of the differentiating characteristics between the two systems in terms of the quality of the permeate. This concentration was higher in the microfiltration system, due to the larger pore size, a fact which also explained the higher concentration of aerobic bacteria and the different particle size distribution. Reuse of effluent from ultrafiltration MBR systems is more safety in view of its microbiological and physico-chemical quality.
ISSN:0011-9164
1873-4464
DOI:10.1016/j.desal.2012.05.008