We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Comparison of Trace Organic Chemical Removal Efficiencies between Aerobic and Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors Treating Municipal Wastewater
Summary
This study compared the removal of trace organic chemicals and their transformation products in aerobic versus anaerobic membrane bioreactors treating municipal wastewater, finding that aerobic systems generally achieved higher removal efficiencies.
Evaluating persistent trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) and transformation products (TPs) in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) is essential, given that MBRs are now widely implemented for wastewater treatment and water reuse. This research applied comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOF-MS)-based nontargeted analysis to compare the effectiveness of parallel aerobic and anaerobic MBRs (AeMBRs and AnMBRs, respectively), treating the same municipal wastewater. The average total chromatographic feature peak area abundances were significantly reduced by 84% and 72% from influent to membrane permeate in both the AeMBR and AnMBR (p < 0.05), respectively. However, the reduction of the average number of chromatographic features was significant for only AeMBR treatment (p = 0.006). A similar number of TPs were generated during both AeMBR and AnMBR treatments (165 vs 171 compounds, respectively). The overall results suggest that the AeMBR was more effective for reducing the diversity of TOrCs than the AnMBR, but both aerobic and anaerobic processes had a similar reduction of TOrC abundance. Suspect screening analysis using GC×GC/TOF-MS, which resulted in the tentative identification of 351 TOrCs, proved to be a powerful approach for uncovering compounds previously unreported in wastewater, including many fragrances and personal care products.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Aerobic Biological Treatment of Microconstituents
This chapter reviews aerobic biological treatment systems and their effectiveness at removing trace organic micropollutants (including pharmaceuticals and personal care products) from wastewater. Biological treatment processes are also relevant to removing microplastics and their associated chemical contaminants from municipal wastewater.
Application of biofilm-membrane bioreactor in municipal wastewater treatment
Researchers designed and tested a biofilm-membrane bioreactor system for municipal wastewater treatment, using a Fourier series algorithm to model performance against COD and ammonium nitrogen removal metrics. The system achieved stable COD removal of approximately 83% and NH4+-N removal of 85-90%, demonstrating its feasibility for municipal wastewater treatment applications.
Submerged membrane/adsorption hybrid process in water reclamation and concentrate management—a mini review
Researchers review how combining membrane filtration with adsorption — a process where pollutants stick to a material's surface — creates a hybrid water treatment system that outperforms either method alone. This integrated approach is particularly effective at removing hard-to-treat organic pollutants from wastewater, including trace pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals that conventional treatment misses.
Removal of Organic Pollution in Water Environment
This review summarizes methods for removing organic pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater, covering physical, chemical, and biological treatment approaches. Improving wastewater treatment is essential to protecting aquatic ecosystems from the growing burden of organic chemical contamination.
Preventing Microplastic Release into Oceans through Wastewater Treatment Technologies.
Comparing immersed and sidestream membrane bioreactors for microplastic removal from wastewater, this analysis found membrane bioreactors more efficient than conventional treatment, identifying them as a key technology to prevent microplastic release to oceans.