Membrane Surface Woven Nylon Fillers Enhance Carbon and Nitrogen Removal of Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor

Abstract

The membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is emerging as a promising solution for future wastewater treatment owing to its remarkable proficiency in achieving concurrent nitrogen and carbon removal. The research addressed a new type of MABR (R2) equipped with a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane-wrapped hollow nylon rope module that was constructed to improve the carbon and nitrogen removal of conventional MABR (R1). Uninterrupted operation lasting 120 days was conducted to compare the performance of R1 and R2 in treating simulated municipal wastewater with varying chemical oxygen demand (COD)/nitrogen (C/N) ratios. The results showed that R2 outperformed R1, exhibiting over 15.9% and 27.9% higher COD and TIN removal rates, respectively. The nylon fillers promoted biofilm formation, mitigated membrane pore clogging by the extracellular polymeric substances, and maintained a stable transmembrane pressure. R2 consistently maintained stable ammonia removal efficiency across different C/N ratios, while R1 exhibited a notable decrease at a high influent C/N ratio. Utilizing nylon carriers on membranes offered a cost-efficient and convenient method for modifying and preparing membranes for treating wastewater with broader C/N ratios and scaling up MABR applications.