A novel bioadsorption-flocculation fluidized bed bioreactor prior to membrane filtration for wastewater treatment and reuse

Xing, W

A novel bioadsorption-flocculation fluidized bed bioreactor prior to membrane filtration for wastewater treatment and reuse

Xing, W

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2012

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Xing, W
dc.date.accessioned	2014-09-26T03:53:21Z
dc.date.available	2014-09-26T03:53:21Z
dc.date.issued	2012
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29876
dc.description	University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.	en_US
dc.description.abstract	As one of the advanced technologies, fluidized bed bioreactor (FBBR) with high treatment efficiency, low operating and capital costs has attracted more attention for wastewater treatment and reuse. The natural based flocculants (NBFs) are environmentally friendly and biodegradable, as well as present good flocculating ability. They can minimize environmental and health risks. Membrane technology has been developed as one of the reliable treatment methods. However, it has some limitation. Besides the high operation costs, membrane fouling is a major obstacle for the widespread application of this technology. The pretreatment technologies are an effective way for improving the filtration performance of the membrane and minimizing membrane fouling. This study was successfully completed with a number of developments which is relevant to all the above issues. Firstly, the granular activated carbon (GAC) fluidised bed bioreactor was designed and developed through a series of study on (i) bioadsorption capacity of granular activated carbon (GAC) in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal from wastewaters, (ii) optimization of the operating conditions of granular activated carbon fluidized bed bioreactor (GAC-FBBRs), and (iii) evaluation of GAC-FBBR for treating synthetic wastewater. Secondly, a new sustainable bioflocculant (NSBF) was developed based on the experimental study of the effect of trace nutrients on the biodegradability of a natural starch based cationic flocculant (SBCF) and the possible use of NSBF as efficient enhancer for FBBR as well as anti-membrane fouling agent for FBBR- Microfiltration (MF) hybrid system. Thirdly, a novel integrated fluidized bed bioreactor (iFBBR) was developed with the design of incorporating an aerobic sponge bioreactor (ASB-FBBR) to an anoxic granular activated carbon FBBR (GAC--FBBR). The detailed investigation on both laboratory and pilot-scale iFBBR and iFFBR-MF with NSBF addition were also conducted. The main specific findings from this study are as follows: Biological GAC (BGAC) bioadsorption perfonned significantly better than GAC adsorption. BGAC bioadsorption could lower the GAC dose and prolong the life time of GAC. The NSBF, containing 22 mg/L of SBCF, 0.5 mg/L of FeCl3, 5 mg/L of MgS04 and 2 mg/L CaCb, was discovered in this study. The addition of NSBF to the GAC-FBBR, Jab-scale and pilot-scale iFBBR is helpful for biomass growth and enhances the performance of bioreactors in terms of organic and nutrient removals. As a pretreatment to SMF, GAC-FBBR, lab-scale and pilot-scale iFBBR are successful in increasing the critical flux and reducing the membrane fouling. The pilot-scale iFBBR-SMF hybrid system could remove more than 95% of organics from real domestic wastewater with effluent DOC and COD concentrations of 2 mg/L and 4.5 mg/L, respectively.	en_US
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)	en_US
dc.language.iso	en	en_US
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/29876/8/02Whole.pdf
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/ppc
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.subject	Sewage.	en
dc.subject	Purification.	en
dc.subject	Flocculation.	en
dc.subject	Membrane filtration.	en
dc.title	A novel bioadsorption-flocculation fluidized bed bioreactor prior to membrane filtration for wastewater treatment and reuse	en_US
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access

Abstract:

As one of the advanced technologies, fluidized bed bioreactor (FBBR) with high treatment efficiency, low operating and capital costs has attracted more attention for wastewater treatment and reuse. The natural based flocculants (NBFs) are environmentally friendly and biodegradable, as well as present good flocculating ability. They can minimize environmental and health risks. Membrane technology has been developed as one of the reliable treatment methods. However, it has some limitation. Besides the high operation costs, membrane fouling is a major obstacle for the widespread application of this technology. The pretreatment technologies are an effective way for improving the filtration performance of the membrane and minimizing membrane fouling. This study was successfully completed with a number of developments which is relevant to all the above issues. Firstly, the granular activated carbon (GAC) fluidised bed bioreactor was designed and developed through a series of study on (i) bioadsorption capacity of granular activated carbon (GAC) in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal from wastewaters, (ii) optimization of the operating conditions of granular activated carbon fluidized bed bioreactor (GAC-FBBRs), and (iii) evaluation of GAC-FBBR for treating synthetic wastewater. Secondly, a new sustainable bioflocculant (NSBF) was developed based on the experimental study of the effect of trace nutrients on the biodegradability of a natural starch based cationic flocculant (SBCF) and the possible use of NSBF as efficient enhancer for FBBR as well as anti-membrane fouling agent for FBBR- Microfiltration (MF) hybrid system. Thirdly, a novel integrated fluidized bed bioreactor (iFBBR) was developed with the design of incorporating an aerobic sponge bioreactor (ASB-FBBR) to an anoxic granular activated carbon FBBR (GAC--FBBR). The detailed investigation on both laboratory and pilot-scale iFBBR and iFFBR-MF with NSBF addition were also conducted. The main specific findings from this study are as follows: Biological GAC (BGAC) bioadsorption perfonned significantly better than GAC adsorption. BGAC bioadsorption could lower the GAC dose and prolong the life time of GAC. The NSBF, containing 22 mg/L of SBCF, 0.5 mg/L of FeCl3, 5 mg/L of MgS04 and 2 mg/L CaCb, was discovered in this study. The addition of NSBF to the GAC-FBBR, Jab-scale and pilot-scale iFBBR is helpful for biomass growth and enhances the performance of bioreactors in terms of organic and nutrient removals. As a pretreatment to SMF, GAC-FBBR, lab-scale and pilot-scale iFBBR are successful in increasing the critical flux and reducing the membrane fouling. The pilot-scale iFBBR-SMF hybrid system could remove more than 95% of organics from real domestic wastewater with effluent DOC and COD concentrations of 2 mg/L and 4.5 mg/L, respectively.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29876