Effect of organic loading rates on the performance of membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment behaviours, fouling, and economic cost

Abstract Although submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) are widely used in treating municipal wastewater and recovery of potential resources, membrane operational parameters and membrane fouling control remain debated issues. In this study, the treatment of municipal wastewater by MBR at high-biomass sludge (MLSS (g/L) ranging from 5.4 g/L to 16.1 g/L) was assessed at an organic loading rates (OLRs) ranging from 0.86 to 3.7 kg COD/m 3 d. The correlation between trans-membrane pressure and total fouling resistance was thoroughly investigated in this study. According to the findings, greater OLRs of 0.86 to 3.7 kg COD/m 3 d caused a decrease in COD, BOD, and NH 4 –N removal efficiency, and higher OLRs of 3.7 kg COD/m 3 d resulted in a higher increase in total fouling resistance (R t ). The economic study of using the MBR system proved that for a designed flow rate of 20 m 3 /d, the payback period from using the treated wastewater will be 7.98 years, which confirms the economic benefits of using this MBR for treating municipal wastewater. In general, understanding the challenges facing the efficiency of MBR would improve its performance and, consequently, the sustainability of wastewater reclamation.