Membrane aerated biofilm reactor

The chapter focuses on membrane bioreactors where a UF or MF membrane is employed for biomass retention and filtration. However, membrane bioreactors where the membrane provides a support for biofilms are an alternative form of membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment application. Two processes, in particular, the membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) and the extractive membrane bioreactor (EMB), have seen significant interest in recent years. Figure 36.4 shows these two technologies schematically. The application of biofilms reactors for wastewater treatment systems is advantageous in view of... 

Motlagh, A. R. A., Lapara, T. and Senunens, M. 2008. Ammonium removal in advective-flow membrane-aerated biofilm reactors (AF-MABRs). Journal of Membrane Science, 319,76-81. 

Pellicer-Nacher, C., Sun, S.-P, Lackner, S., Terada, A., Schreiber, F, Zhou, Q. and Smets, B. F. 2010. Sequential aeration of membrane-aerated biofilm reactors for high rate autotrophic nitrogen removal experimental demonstration. Environmental Science and Technology, 44, lbJ -l(PA. 

Rishell, S., Casey, E., Glennon, B. and Hamer, G. 2004. Characteristics of a meth-anotrophic cnltnre in a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor. Biotechnology Progress, 20,1082-1090. 

Terada, A., Yamamoto, T, Tsuneda, S. and Hirata, A. 2004. Enhancement of biofihn formation onto surface-modified hoUow-fiber membranes and its apphcation to a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor. Water Science and Technology, 49, 263-268. 

The immobilization of biofilms on permeable membranes, for the biodegradation of pollutants has drawn increasing interest for applications, where conventional treatment technologies are difficult to apply. As one of such examples, Hu et al. demonstrated the usefulness of membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) for the wastewater treatment [16] a carbon-membrane aerated biofilm reactor (CMABR) was constmcted to remove organics and nitrogen containing compounds simultaneously in one reactor. 

Heffernan, B., Murphy, C. D., Syron, E. and Casey, E. 2009. Treatment of fluoroace-tate by a Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm grown in membrane aerated biofihn reactor. Environmental Science and Technology, 43,6776-6785. 

Industrial hazardous wastewater can be treated aerobically in suspended biomass stirred-tank bioreactors, plug-flow bioreactors, rotating-disc contactors, packed-bed fixed-biofilm reactors (or biofilters), fluidized bed reactors, diffused aeration tanks, airlift bioreactors, jet bioreactors, membrane bioreactors, and upflow bed reactors [28,30]. 

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