Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors for Municipal Wastewater Treatment: A Literature Review

Abstract

Currently, there is growing scientific interest in the development of more economic, efficient and environmentally friendly municipal wastewater treatment technologies. Laboratory and pilot-scale surveys have revealed that the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is a promising alternative for municipal wastewater treatment. Anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology combines the advantages of anaerobic processes and membrane technology. Membranes retain colloidal and suspended solids and provide complete solid–liquid separation. The slow-growing anaerobic microorganisms in the bioreactor degrade the soluble organic matter, producing biogas. The low amount of produced sludge and the production of biogas makes AnMBRs favorable over conventional biological treatment technologies. However, the AnMBR is not yet fully mature and challenging issues remain. This work focuses on fundamental aspects of AnMBRs in the treatment of municipal wastewater. The important parameters for AnMBR operation, such as pH, temperature, alkalinity, volatile fatty acids, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time and solids retention time, are discussed. Moreover, through a comprehensive literature survey of recent applications from 2009 to 2021, the current state of AnMBR technology is assessed and its limitations are highlighted. Finally, the need for further laboratory, pilot- and full-scale research is addressed.

Energy-Efficient AnMBRs Technology for Treatment of Wastewaters: A Review

“…This review is motivated by the progress that was made in the research and applications of AnMBRs in recent years. It is worth noting that several review articles on the MBR technology have recently been published [39,45,[58][59][60][61][62]. Nevertheless, to the best of the authors knowledge, the present paper is the first to gain detailed insight into the status of AnMBRs as the energy-efficient technology for the treatment of municipal and domestic wastewaters.…”

“…The submerged (immersed) MBR system was introduced by Yamamoto et al [116] in 1989, which led to a significant increase in the number of MBRs installations [43]. This technology is based on a membrane directly submerged inside the reactor (Figure 2b), which, consequently, comes into direct contact with the biomass [61]. In the submerged configuration, the membrane can be configured as vertical or horizontal hollow fibers, vertical flat plates or tubes [87].…”

“…Finally, in the external submerged system, the membrane is separated from the bioreactor and immersed in a tank filled with the biomass (Figure 2c) [61]. In this configuration, membranes are operated under a vacuum.…”

Addressing the water-energy nexus: A focus on the barriers and potentials of harnessing wastewater treatment processes for biogas production in Sub Saharan Africa

“…(2019) demonstrated that the type of biochar and trace element concentration present in the composition play a key role in determining the effectiveness of the biochar in increasing biogas production from food waste in a series of experiments using different types of biochars. Kanafin et al. (2021) advocate for the combination of anaerobic processes and membrane technology as a promising alternative for municipal WWT but cautions about the challenges associated with the implementation of anaerobic membrane bioreactors.…”

Microbial Pretreatment of Chicken Feather and Its Co-digestion With Rice Husk and Green Grocery Waste for Enhanced Biogas Production

“…Biogas is an emerging renewable energy source obtained through the degradation of organic matter by microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. The biogas production and applications provide a comprehensive and systematic guide to developing and deploying biogas supply chains and technology ( Ogut et al, 2013 ; Kanafin et al, 2021 ).…”