No abstract

BACKGROUNDMembrane bioreactor (MBR) applications have been limited by high cost of membrane modules and fouling problems. Dynamic membrane (DM) technology can be a solution for these problems. Low‐cost filters can be used as support materials for dynamic (cake) layer formation. The characteristics of support material play an important role on dynamic layer formation behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of support material type on dynamic membrane bioreactor (DMBR) performance for municipal wastewater treatment. Hollow fiber support materials, made of polyester fabrics and glass fiber materials, were used for DM formation.RESULTSSimilar treatment performances were obtained with each membrane achieving high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (>97%) and total suspended solids (>99%) parameters. Higher transmembrane pressure (TMP) was observed for glass fiber material in comparison to polyester material. Based on morphological analyses, dynamic layers formed on both support materials had similar composition, organic and inorganic materials. A homogeneous layer was formed on polyester support material, while fine particles were deposited between the filaments of glass fiber support material, which caused clogging.CONCLUSIONBased on TMP results and morphological analyses, polyester support material provided better formation of DM layer. Thus selection of proper support material type is very important to achieve stable DM layer in DMBRs. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Yellow water is a segregated domestic wastewater stream resulting from Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN). It is mainly source separated human urine which is rich in nutrients. The potential contribution of yellow water as fertilizer to food security is considerable. The use of this potential however is related to the acceptance of the consumers towards urine based fertilizers (UBF). This work aims to assess acceptance of consumers towards UBF and urine diverting toilets (UDT) for separation of urine, through questionnaires with 444 participants from Egypt, Iraq and Turkey with different age groups, genders, educational backgrounds and occupations. The overall acceptance for UDTs and UBF was 62% and 56%, respectively. All-in-all, public opinion regarding the use of UDT/UBF is promising.

Excess sewage sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is regarded the key energy source for achieving energy neutral WWTPs. The anaerobic digestion process transforms sludge-organic matter into methane, which subsequently can be used for heat and electricity production. Conventional anaerobic digesters (ADs) have been used for sludge treatment for many decades, requiring high energy and providing poor effluent quality. Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology exhibits a promising option for treatment of high solids concentration streams including sludge. AnMBRs result in an increase in digestion efficiency and enhancement in effluent quality at small footprints. AnMBRs have the potential to reduce capital and operational costs, and produce more energy in comparison to conventional ADs. Thus, energy neutral or positive operation can be achieved with AnMBRs. Besides, nutrient recovery or direct use of permeate will become more feasible in AnMBRs compared to use of sludge supernatant in ADs. However, membrane fouling can limit the feasibility of AnMBRs for sludge treatment, which requires further research. This review paper critically evaluates the current status of AnMBR technology for municipal sludge treatment discussing the effect of different factors on treatment and membrane filtration performances. Furthermore, future research opportunities to enhance applicability of this technology are addressed.

No abstract