School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; Daegu Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters (Water Quality Research Institute), 176 Dangsan-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42650, Republic of Korea.
Water Res. 2024 Feb 15;250:121035. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.121035. Epub 2023 Dec 20.
Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) play a crucial role in wastewater treatment, but they face considerable challenges due to fouling. To tackle this issue, innovative strategies are needed. This study investigated the effectiveness of membrane reciprocation and quorum quenching (QQ) to control fouling in MBRs. The study compared MBRs using membrane reciprocation (30 rpm) and QQ (injecting media containing 100 or 200 mg/L BH4) with conventional MBRs employing different air-scouring intensities. The results demonstrated that combining membrane reciprocation (30 rpm) with QQ (200 mg/L BH4) significantly extended the service time of MBRs, making it approximately six times longer than conventional methods. Moreover, this approach reduced physically reversible resistance. The reduction in signal molecules related to biofouling due to QQ showcased its critical role in controlling biofouling, even under high shear caused by membrane reciprocation. However, the impact of QQ on microbial community structure appeared relatively insignificant when compared to factors such as operation time, aeration intensity, and membrane reciprocation. By combining membrane reciprocation and QQ, the study achieved a remarkable 81 % energy saving compared to extensive aeration (103 s in velocity gradient), in addition to the extended service time. Importantly, this combined antifouling approach did not negatively affect microbial characteristics and wastewater treatment, emphasizing its effectiveness in MBRs. Overall, the findings of this study offer valuable insights for developing synergistic fouling control strategies in MBRs, significantly improving the energy efficiency of the wastewater treatment process.
膜生物反应器（MBR）在废水处理中起着至关重要的作用，但由于污染问题，它们面临着巨大的挑战。为了解决这个问题，需要采用创新策略。本研究调查了膜往复运动和群体感应淬灭（QQ）在控制 MBR 污染方面的有效性。该研究比较了使用膜往复运动（30rpm）和 QQ（注入含有 100 或 200mg/L BH4 的介质）的 MBR 与采用不同空气冲刷强度的常规 MBR。结果表明，将膜往复运动（30rpm）与 QQ（200mg/L BH4）相结合，可显著延长 MBR 的使用寿命，使其比常规方法延长约六倍。此外，这种方法还降低了物理可恢复阻力。由于 QQ 减少了与生物污染相关的信号分子，因此在膜往复运动引起的高剪切力下，QQ 在控制生物污染方面发挥了关键作用。然而，与操作时间、曝气强度和膜往复运动等因素相比，QQ 对微生物群落结构的影响相对较小。通过将膜往复运动和 QQ 相结合，与广泛曝气（速度梯度为 103s）相比，该研究实现了 81%的节能，除了延长的使用寿命。重要的是，这种联合防污方法对微生物特性和废水处理没有负面影响，强调了其在 MBR 中的有效性。总的来说，这项研究为开发 MBR 中协同污染控制策略提供了有价值的见解，显著提高了废水处理过程的能源效率。
