The efficiency of a membrane bioreactor in drinking water denitrification

• Main Authors: Petrovič Aleksandra, Simonič Marjana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association of the Chemical Engineers of Serbia 2015-01-01
• Series: Chemical Industry and Chemical Engineering Quarterly
• Subjects: capacity; denitrification; drinking water; efficiency; membrane bioreactor; sucrose
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1451-9372/2015/1451-93721400026P.pdf

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) system was investigated regarding its nitrate removal capacity from drinking water. The performance of a pilot-scale MBR was tested, depending on the operational parameters, using sucrose as a carbon source. Drinking water from the source was introduced into the reactor in order to study the influence of flow-rate on the nitrate removal and denitrification efficiency of drinking water. The content of the nitrate was around 70 mg/L and the C/N ratio was 3:1. Nitrate removal efficiencies above 90% were obtained by flow-rates lower than 4.8 L/h. The specific denitrification rates varied between 0.02 and 0.16 g/L NO3/ (g/L MLSS•d). The efficiencies and nitrate removal were noticeably affected by the flow-rate and hydraulic retention times. At the maximum flow-rate of 10.2 L/h still 68% of the nitrate had been removed, whilst the highest specific denitrification rate was achieved at 0.2738 g/L NO3/ (g/L) MLSS•d). The maximum reactor removal capacity was calculated at 8.75 g NO3/m3•h.