The characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances and soluble microbial products in moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 148; pp. 436 - 442
• Main Authors: Duan, Liang, Jiang, Wei, Song, Yonghui, Xia, Siqing, Hermanowicz, Slawomir W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacteria - chemistry; Biofilms; Biofouling; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors; Bioreactors - microbiology; Biotechnology; Carbohydrates - analysis; EPS; Extracellular polymeric substances; Extracellular Space - chemistry; Fouling; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Media; Membrane bioreactor; Membrane fouling; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microorganisms; Molecular Weight; Moving bed biofilm reactor; Polymers - chemistry; Proteins - analysis; Reactors; Solubility; Soluble microbial products; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Various methods and equipments; Membrane bioreactor; Extracellular polymeric substances; Moving bed biofilm reactor; Soluble microbial products; Membrane fouling; Fouling; Moving bed; Solubility; Polymer; Extracellular; Membrane reactor; Bioreactor; Biofilm; Membrane; Microorganism
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.147

•Conventional MBR and moving bed biofilm MBR (MBBR–MBR) were compared.•The media fill ratio in MBBR–MBR had an important effect on membrane fouling.•No fouling was observed in the MBBR–MBR with an optimum media fill ratio.•Least fouling was experienced with molecular weight distribution of EPS and SMP.•The EPS of best performing MBBR–MBR had different O–H bonds in hydroxyl functional groups and less polysaccharides and lipids. The characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) in conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) and in moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactors (MBBR–MBR) were investigated in long-term (170days) experiments. The results showed that all reactors had high removal efficiency of ammonium and COD, despite very different fouling conditions. The MBBR–MBR with media fill ratio of 26.7% had much lower total membrane resistance and no obvious fouling were detected during the whole operation. In contrast, MBR and MBBR–MBR with lower and higher media fill experienced more significant fouling. Low fouling at optimum fill ratio may be due to the higher percentage of small molecular size (<1kDa) and lower percentage of large molecular size (>100kDa) of EPS and SMP in the reactor. The composition of EPS and SMP affected fouling due to different O–H bonds in hydroxyl functional groups, and less polysaccharides and lipids.