Performance of a novel rotating membrane photobioreactor based on indigenous microalgae-bacteria consortia for wastewater reclamation
Date
2023Abstract
Performance of a novel a rotating membrane photobioreactor (R-MPBR) for wastewater reclamation
under photosynthetic oxygenation was investigated. The unit was operated in dead-end mode with an
alternative physical cleaning strategy based in membrane module rotation. It was found that the carbon
loading rate applied (CLR) (9.1–36.6 g DOC m 3 d-1 ) determined the dissolved oxygen concentration,
affecting nutrient removal, bioflocculation and membrane fouling. Indigenous microalgae-bacteria con-
sortia were effectively developed under each condition. At high CLR values, the dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen removal was significantly enhanced (81.2 ± 13.9 %), probably due to a simultaneous nitrification–
denitrification process as a result of the negligible dissolved oxygen concentration. Decreasing CLR from
36.6 to 9.1 g DOC m 3 d -1
, increased particle size (D( 0.5) from 61.9 to 92.8 lm) and decreased biopolymer
clusters content (from 50.0 to 2.3 mg DOC L -1 ). I