Kinetic Effects of Ciprofloxacin, Carbamazepine, and Bisphenol on Biomass in Membrane Bioreactor System at Low Temperatures to Treat Urban Wastewater

Abstract

This study analysed the kinetic results in the presence and absence of micropollutants (bisphenol A, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, and the mixture of the three compounds) obtained with respirometric tests with mixed liquor and heterotrophic biomass in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) working for two different hydraulic retention times (12–18 h) and under low-temperature conditions (5–8 °C). Independently of the temperature, the organic substrate was biodegraded faster over a longer hydraulic retention time (HRT) with similar doping, which was probably due to the longer contact time between the substrate and microorganisms within the bioreactor. However, low values of temperature negatively affected the net heterotrophic biomass growth rate, with reductions from 35.03 to 43.66% in phase 1 (12 h HRT) and from 37.18 to 42.77% in phase 2 (18 h HRT). The combined effect of the pharmaceuticals did not worsen the biomass yield compared with the effects caused individually.

Impacts of Organic Emerging Contaminants (Erythromycin, Ibuprofen, and Diclofenac) on the Performance of a Membrane Bioreactor Treating Urban Wastewater: A Heterotrophic Kinetic Investigation

“…The working permeability values were maintained at 1.32–2.36 L/(m 2 h bar). This working pressure is in the range of other studies working with membrane bioreactors in wastewater treatment with pharmaceuticals [ 27 , 28 ]. Table 2 shows the working permeability values.…”

“…This might explain the decrease in MLSS from day 17 (2433.33 mg L −1 ) to day 24 (1433.33 mg L −1 ). Other authors reported decreases in b H values ranging from 24.76% to 66.51% in the kinetics of heterotrophic biomass in a membrane bioreactor against pharmaceutical compounds such as ciprofloxacin and carbamazepine [ 28 ]. Other authors conclude that heterotrophic biomass evolves and adapts to CECs at low concentrations [ 42 ], resulting in a kinetic response as in this study [ 43 ].…”

Retention of Ciprofloxacin and Carbamazepine from Aqueous Solutions Using Chitosan-Based Cryostructured Composites

“…One such example is the removal of carbamazepine (CBZ) through wastewater treatment facilities (WWTPs), which is typically less than 10% [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. CBZ (or 5 H -dibenzo[ b,f ]azepine-5-carboxamide) is an effective drug often used for controlling epileptic seizures [ 19 ] or in the treatment of epilepsy and psychotropic activity [ 20 ]. This type of drug has been used since the 1960s for severe pain, and after 1997, its consumption was almost 6334 kg in Austria alone [ 21 ].…”