Municipal Sewage Treatment Technology: A2/O-VMBR Integrated Technology for Municipal Treatment and Improved Pollutant Removal

To modernize wastewater treatment plants, a pilot-scale anaerobic/anoxic/oxic-vibrating membrane bioreactor (A2/O-VMBR) was developed and successfully operated. Despite a low C/N ratio, the A2/O-VMBR achieved removal rates of 61.10%, 93.77%, 72.86%, and 54.75% for COD, TN, TP, and NH3-N, respectively. The maximum and extremity transmembrane pressures were 45 kPa, and 80 kPa, respectively, with no sludge bulking observed. The VMBR saved over 96–98% of energy compared to traditional MBR plants, making it a better option for municipal wastewater treatment. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed identical bacterial population structures in samples obtained from the treatment units, with genera having nitrifying, denitrifying, hydrolyzing, and glycogen-accumulating activities, which allowed for nitrogen removal. The key functional microorganisms responsible for nitrification–denitrification were species belonging to the genera FCPU426, Fusobacteria, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Epsilonbacteraeota. The integrated experimental system produced favorable results in improving wastewater quality, highlighting the usability of the A2/O-VMBR technology. Therefore, this technique holds potential for further investigation into the context of wastewater treatment and recovery.

[1]  Huiming Han,et al.  Research and Demonstration on Reclaimation of Chemical Industrial Wastewater with High Salinity and Hardness and Purification of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates , 2023, SSRN Electronic Journal.

[2]  Jing-long Han,et al.  Enhanced nitrogen removal of constructed wetlands by coupling with the bioelectrochemical system under low temperature: Performance and mechanism , 2022, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[3]  Lingzhan Miao,et al.  Effects of sediment physicochemical factors and heavy metals on the diversity, structure, and functions of bacterial and fungal communities from a eutrophic river. , 2022, Environmental pollution.

[4]  H. Ng,et al.  Insights on fouling development and characteristics during different fouling stages between a novel vibrating MBR and an air-sparging MBR for domestic wastewater treatment. , 2022, Water research.

[5]  A. Guisasola,et al.  A review on the integration of mainstream P-recovery strategies with enhanced biological phosphorus removal. , 2022, Water research.

[6]  H. Yang,et al.  Nitrogen removal characteristics and potential application of the heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacteria Pseudomonas mendocina S16 and Enterobacter cloacae DS'5 isolated from aquaculture wastewater ponds. , 2021, Bioresource technology.

[7]  Jun Li,et al.  Effect of exogenous K+ addition on the denitrification efficiency of high salinity wastewater treatment by anammox process at medium and low temperature: In-depth study , 2021, Cleaner Engineering and Technology.

[8]  H. Ng,et al.  Comparison between novel vibrating ceramic MBR and conventional air-sparging MBR for domestic wastewater treatment: Performance, fouling control and energy consumption. , 2021, Water research.

[9]  Shaoyong Lu,et al.  Nitrogen removal from summer to winter in a field pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland-pond system. , 2020, Journal of environmental sciences.

[10]  K. Xiao,et al.  Electroconductive moving bed membrane bioreactor (EcMB-MBR) for single-step decentralized wastewater treatment: Performance, mechanisms, and cost. , 2020, Water research.

[11]  Wenjie Zhang,et al.  Domestic Sewage Treatment Using a One-Stage ANAMMOX Process , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[12]  Shuo Wang,et al.  Full-scale membrane bioreactor process WWTPs in East Taihu basin: Wastewater characteristics, energy consumption and sustainability. , 2020, The Science of the total environment.

[13]  Jia Wei Chew,et al.  The behavior of suspensions and macromolecular solutions in crossflow microfiltration: An update , 2020 .

[14]  V. Jegatheesan,et al.  A Review on the Mechanism, Impacts and Control Methods of Membrane Fouling in MBR System , 2020, Membranes.

[15]  A. Seco,et al.  Nitrite inhibition of microalgae induced by the competition between microalgae and nitrifying bacteria. , 2020, Water research.

[16]  Yingmu Wang,et al.  Effects of COD/TN ratio on nitrogen removal efficiency, microbial community for high saline wastewater treatment based on heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification process. , 2020, Bioresource technology.

[17]  G. Gao,et al.  Composition of bacterial communities in municipal wastewater treatment plant. , 2019, The Science of the total environment.

[18]  J. Ni,et al.  Simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under low temperature. , 2019, Chemosphere.

[19]  Tao Xu,et al.  Efficient nitrogen removal by simultaneous heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacterium in a purification tank bioreactor amended with two-stage dissolved oxygen control. , 2019, Bioresource technology.

[20]  J. Tay,et al.  Reactivation and pilot-scale application of long-term storage denitrification biofilm based on flow cytometry. , 2019, Water research.

[21]  S. Zendehboudi,et al.  Current Status and Future Prospects of Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs) and Fouling Phenomena: A Systematic Review , 2018, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering.

[22]  Xiuping Yue,et al.  Efficiency, granulation, and bacterial populations related to pollutant removal in an upflow microaerobic sludge reactor treating wastewater with low COD/TN ratio. , 2018, Bioresource technology.

[23]  S. Bae,et al.  Discriminating activated sludge flocs from biofilm microbial communities in a novel pilot-scale reciprocation MBR using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. , 2018, Journal of environmental management.

[24]  H. Salvadó,et al.  Characterization of nutrient-removing microbial communities in two full-scale WWTP systems using a new qPCR approach. , 2018, The Science of the total environment.

[25]  Xiangyang Xu,et al.  Seasonal bacterial community succession in four typical wastewater treatment plants: correlations between core microbes and process performance , 2018, Scientific Reports.

[26]  M. Bagheri,et al.  Critical review of fouling mitigation strategies in membrane bioreactors treating water and wastewater. , 2018, Bioresource technology.

[27]  Jianzheng Li,et al.  Enhanced nitrogen removal from piggery wastewater with high NH4+ and low COD/TN ratio in a novel upflow microaerobic biofilm reactor. , 2018, Bioresource technology.

[28]  Xinxi Zhang,et al.  Nutrients removal and bacterial community structure for low C/N municipal wastewater using a modified anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (mA2/O) process in North China. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[29]  Hang-Sik Shin,et al.  Fouling in membrane bioreactors: An updated review. , 2017, Water research.

[30]  Simon Judd,et al.  The status of industrial and municipal effluent treatment with membrane bioreactor technology , 2016 .

[31]  R. Guo,et al.  Application of alga-activated sludge combined system (AASCS) as a novel treatment to remove cephalosporins , 2015 .

[32]  S. Smith,et al.  Alternative energy efficient membrane bioreactor using reciprocating submerged membrane. , 2014, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[33]  J. C. Mierzwa,et al.  Comparison between a conventional membrane bioreactor (C-MBR) and a biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) for domestic wastewater treatment , 2014 .

[34]  A. Mohammad,et al.  Description of membrane fouling characteristics during ultrafiltration of organic foulants contained in sweetwater solutions , 2014 .

[35]  Peng Jin,et al.  Nitrogen-removal performance and community structure of nitrifying bacteria under different aeration modes in an oxidation ditch. , 2013, Water research.

[36]  Xiaochang C. Wang,et al.  Characteristics of an A2O–MBR system for reclaimed water production under constant flux at low TMP , 2013 .

[37]  J Pinnekamp,et al.  Modular operation of membrane bioreactors for higher hydraulic capacity utilisation. , 2011, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[38]  D. Lee,et al.  Effect of an electro phosphorous removal process on phosphorous removal and membrane permeability in a pilot-scale MBR , 2010 .

[39]  A. Drews,et al.  Recent advances in membrane bioreactors (MBRs): membrane fouling and membrane material. , 2009, Water research.

[40]  Y. Li,et al.  Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification achieved by an innovative internal-loop airlift MBR: comparative study. , 2008, Bioresource technology.

[41]  Slil Siripong,et al.  Diversity study of nitrifying bacteria in full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants. , 2007, Water research.

[42]  Claire Albasi,et al.  Role and variations of supernatant compounds in submerged membrane bioreactor fouling , 2005 .

[43]  Juan A. Baeza,et al.  Effect of internal recycle on the nitrogen removal efficiency of an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2/O) wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) , 2004 .

[44]  S. Low,et al.  Characteristics of a vibration membrane in water recovery from a fine carbon loaded wastewater , 2003 .

[45]  A. Jönsson.  Influence of shear rate on the flux during ultrafiltration of colloidal substances , 1993 .

[46]  B. J. McCoy,et al.  Improving permeation flux by pulsed reverse osmosis , 1974 .

[47]  K. Xiao,et al.  Current state and challenges of full-scale membrane bioreactor applications: A critical review. , 2019, Bioresource technology.

[48]  Jeonghwan Kim,et al.  Membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment: A review of mechanical cleaning by scouring agents to control membrane fouling , 2017 .

[49]  P. Armenante,et al.  Reactor design for hazardous waste treatment using a white rot fungus , 1990 .