Perspectives on anaerobic membrane bioreactor treatment of domestic wastewater: A critical review

Effect of Seasonal Temperature on the Performance and on the Microbial Community of a Novel AWFR for Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Pretreatment

“…Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors (UASB) [8,9], anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) [10], and anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) [7,11,12] are commonly used to treat domestic wastewater. Despite the effective chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal by these anaerobic biotechnologies, some challenges still exist, such as complex three-phase separator and long solids' retention time of UASB, membrane fouling and high energy costs of AnMBR, and high land footprint of ABR.…”

Design of anaerobic membrane bioreactors for the valorization of dilute organic carbon waste streams

“…Research on membrane materials can further support this goal by continuing to target better resistance to fouling while simultaneously increasing useful life. 26,49 Increasing membrane material efficiency (i.e., the ratio of membrane surface area to material volume) to over 2,000 m 2 ·m −3 will also contribute to lower cost, more efficient systems with reduced environmental impacts. Finally, although researchers have achieved long-term AFMBR operation (485 days, 0.8 m 3 reactor volume) without chemical cleaning, cleaning may ultimately benefit system performance and a method should be developed that does not harm organisms attached to the fluidized GAC.…”

“…61 Ultimately, the criticality of soluble methane management and the breadth of potential solutions underscores the need to develop integrated solutions for WWTPs interested in AnMBR. Beyond methane, nutrient management is a critical challenge for many utilities, creating opportunities for downstream nitrogen removal 26,62 or the development of more comprehensive resource recovery strategies through the integration of phototrophic bioprocesses (e.g., microalgae cultivation for energy positive nutrient recovery). 17 …”

Development and testing of a fully gravitational submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment

“…The solution to the problem was to reduce the effluent permeate line diameter from 5 mm to 3 mm: this increased the velocity of flow which effectively dragged the bubbles out with the permeate. The problem of gas liquid phase separation in the lumen highlights one of the issues associated with methane oversaturation in AnMBR due to the TMP forcing more methane into solution, and also to localised biogas generation on and within the membrane itself, as discussed by Smith et al [6]. Dissolved methane can represent a significant loss in methane production and energy potential, as well as a source of fugitive greenhouse emissions [31,32].…”

“…Alternative methods for assessment of AnMBR membrane performance may contribute to finding operational regimes that establish the best balance between fouling, membrane flux, cleaning frequency and other operational parameters [5]. Smith et al [6] suggested that future AnMBR research should focus particularly on developments that reduce energy demand, and on the relationship between HRT, MCRT, treatment performance and membrane fouling, which is complex and poorly defined in the literature.…”