Evolution of filamentous bacteria during urban wastewater treatment by MBR

Abstract

Evolution of filamentous bacteria in two full-scale experimental MBR systems (microfiltration and ultrafiltration) was studied during two years. Sludge Retention Time (SRT) and Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) were modified and acted as variables, together with temperature and variation in loading. With SRT values between 20 and 35 d and HRT between 31 and 40 h, both MBR systems presented a high density of filamentous bacteria, according to the Filamentous Index (FI) and Simplified Technique of Filamentous Count (STFC). Highest density was achieved when contaminant loads were high and temperature was low. However, the elevated presence of filamentous bacteria did not affect the quality of effluent or the permeability of the membranes. Nocardioform bacteria showed a high degree of adaptation to the characteristics of the system. Predominance of Nocardioforms gave rise to isolated episodes of massive growth at temperatures between 15 and 20°C, which in turn caused episodes of intense foaming whose most significant consequence was a loss in biomass, leading to a slight increase in transmembrane pressure. In the light of these results, FI and STFC should not be considered as suitable tools for predicting operational problems deriving from filamentous bacteria in MBR systems, which could be prevented through identification.

Μελέτη Της Έμφραξης Μεμβρανών Σε Πιλοτική Μονάδα Βιοαντιδραστήρα

“…Επίσης, σε αυτές τις συνθήκες το πάχος του σχηματιζόμενου βιο-φιλμ στην επιφάνεια της μεμβράνης είναι μεγαλύτερο, ενώ ευνοείται και η ανάπτυξη νηματοειδών βακτηρίων(Deng et al, 2016b;Waheed et al 2017). Τα τελευταία εκτός από τα προβλήματα διόγκωσης και αφρισμού της ιλύος που προκαλούν, συνδέονται και με την αύξηση του ρυθμού έμφραξης στα συστήματα MBR(Campo et al, 2017;Parada-Albarracín et al, 2012). Από την άλλη σε χαμηλούς ρυθμούς οργανικής φόρτισης η συγκέντρωση των SMP ελαττώνεται, καθώς οι μικροοργανισμοί καταναλώνουν ένα…”