Membrane fouling needs to be mitigated for widespread use of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). It has been pointed out that particles with small sizes found in supernatants (sub-micron particles) of mixed liquor suspensions of MBRs are important in the evolution of membrane fouling of this technology. However, information on characteristics of sub-micron particles in MBRs is still insufficient. In this study, a pilot-scale MBR treating municipal wastewater was used to investigate and characterize sub-micron particles in an MBR and to identify the size fraction(s) responsible for irreversible fouling in an MBR. It was clearly shown that characteristics of sub-micron particles in the MBR varied considerably depending on their sizes. Results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and monosaccharide analysis suggested that irreversible fouling in this study was mainly caused by the specific size fraction of 0.1–0.45 μm, which was close to the size of micropores of the membrane used. Pore plugging might explain this to some extent.
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Research Article|
June 01 2013
Membrane fouling caused by sub-micron particles in a mixed liquor suspension of an MBR
K. Kimura;
1Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
E-mail: kkatsu@eng.hokudai.ac.jp
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R. Ogyu;
R. Ogyu
1Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
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T. Miyoshi;
T. Miyoshi
2Center for Environmental Nano and Bio Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
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T. Naruse;
T. Naruse
1Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
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T. Tsuyuhara;
T. Tsuyuhara
1Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
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Y. Watanabe
Y. Watanabe
2Center for Environmental Nano and Bio Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
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Water Sci Technol (2013) 67 (11): 2602–2607.
Article history
Received:
November 10 2012
Accepted:
February 12 2013
Citation
K. Kimura, R. Ogyu, T. Miyoshi, T. Naruse, T. Tsuyuhara, Y. Watanabe; Membrane fouling caused by sub-micron particles in a mixed liquor suspension of an MBR. Water Sci Technol 1 June 2013; 67 (11): 2602–2607. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2013.170
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