Mechanism investigation of virus removal in a membrane bioreactor

Virus removal in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) by gravity drain was studied. Coliphage f2 (mean size of 25 nm), which is similar in size to human enteric pathogenic viruses, was selected as a model virus. Two microfiltration membrane modules with pore sizes of 0.22 μm and 0.1 μm were applied to investigate the effects of membrane pore size on the virus rejection. The MBR with these modules could reject virus in a range of 2.6–5.1 logs. The experimental results showed that the mechanisms of virus removal in the MBR involved rejection and inactivation. The virus rejection depended mainly on the dynamic layer on the membrane surface (not membrane itself) because virus rejection by the membrane modules with pore sizes of 0.1 μm and 0.22 μm were similar. The microbial activity and the aeration oxidation were the two important factors for the virus inactivation. It was found that the inactivation of coliphage f2 was much more rapidly in activated sludge mixed liquor than in clean water, and the effect of aeration was significant.

[1]  Kh. Krauth,et al.  Pressurized bioreactor with membrane filtration for wastewater treatment , 1993 .

[2]  Y. Sakai,et al.  Adsorption of viruses in water environment onto solid surfaces , 1997 .

[3]  A. Metzler,et al.  In situ inactivation of animal viruses and a coliphage in nonaerated liquid and semiliquid animal wastes , 1995, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[4]  Nigel Cook,et al.  Survival of human enteric viruses in the environment and food. , 2004, FEMS microbiology reviews.

[5]  M Salgot,et al.  Biological control tools for wastewater reclamation and reuse. A critical review. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[6]  K. Krauth,et al.  Replacement of secondary clarification by membrane separation — Results with plate and hollow fibre modules , 1998 .

[7]  Tatsuki Ueda,et al.  Fate of indigenous bacteriophage in a membrane bioreactor , 2000 .

[8]  S. Judd,et al.  Reduction of faecal coliform bacteria in sewage effluents using a microporous polymeric membrane , 1998 .

[9]  YANGMin,et al.  Evaluation of virus removal in MBR using coliphages T4 , 2005 .

[10]  N. Ashbolt,et al.  Viral risks associated with wastewater reuse: modeling virus persistence on wastewater irrigated salad crops. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[11]  Chii Shang,et al.  Bacteriophage MS-2 removal by submerged membrane bioreactor. , 2005, Water research.

[12]  S L Ong,et al.  Removal of MS2 bacteriophage using membrane technologies. , 2003, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[13]  Anthony G. Fane,et al.  Virus removal from water and wastewater using membranes , 1995 .

[14]  W. Jury,et al.  Role of the Air-Water-Solid Interface in Bacteriophage Sorption Experiments , 1998, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.