Journal of Environmental Biology

A study on the performance of a pilot scale A2/0-MBR system in

treating domestic wastewater

 

J. Rajesh Banu², Do Khac Uan¹, Ik-Jae Chung¹, S. Kaliappan² and Ick-Tae Yeom*¹

¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sung Kyun Kwan University, 300,

Chunchun-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 440-746, Korea

²Anna University, Tirunelveli - 627 007, India

(Received: February 02, 2008; Revised received: October 18, 2008; Accepted: November 15, 2008)

 

Abstract: Phosphorus and nitrogen are the important eutrophication nutrients. They were removed in the anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2/O) system through biologically. The use of pilot scale A2/O systems with immersed membranes in removing nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen were investigated over a period of 150 days. The A2/O membrane bio reactor (MBR) was operated at a flux of 17 LMH. The designed flux was increased stepwise over a period of one week. The reactor was operated with the mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations in the range of 7000-8000 mg l^-1. The phosphorus removal was found to be in the range of 74-84%. The ammonification was completed in the aerobic zone and the ammonia concentration was almost nil. Nitrate concentration in the anoxic zone was found to be in the range of 0.3-1.6 mg l^-1 indicating efficient denitrification. The nitrogen removal efficiency of the A2/O-MBR system was in the range of 68 to 75%. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluent was in the range of 8-5 mgl^-1 indicating the efficiency of membrane. During the period of reactor operation transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the reactor increased slowly from 0 to 6 -cmHg over a period of 150 days.

?Key words: A2/O - MBR, Nutrient removal, TMP

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