Treatment of Formaldehyde-Containing Wastewater Using Membrane Bioreactor
by Chalor Jarusutthirak, (corresponding author), (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand. E-mail: kjchalor@kmitl.ac.th), Kamolchanok Sangsawang, (Graduate Assistant, Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand. E-mail: praw_chem@hotmail.com), Supatpong Mattaraj, (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ubon Ratchathani Univ., Warinchamrab, Ubon Ratchathani 34190, Thailand. E-mail: mattas@ubu.ac.th), and Ratana Jiraratananon, (Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s Univ. of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand. E-mail: ratana.jir@kmutt.ac.th)
Journal of Environmental Engineering, Vol. 138, No. 3, March 2012, pp. 265-271, (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000430)
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| Document type: |
Journal Paper |
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Special Issue: Advances in Research and Development of Sustainable Environmental Technologies |
| Abstract: |
Performance of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) in removal of formaldehyde from synthetic wastewater was investigated. Batch tests for biodegradation of formaldehyde indicated that bioreactors containing acclimated sludge were able to remove up to 99.9% of the formaldehyde from solution. The 12-L MBR was equipped with a submerged hollow-fiber ultrafiltration (UF) membrane with 0.85 m2 filtration area. The unit was operated at a hydraulic retention time of 10 h in aerobic mode with formaldehyde as the sole carbon source for microbial growth. The results revealed that the MBR reduced formaldehyde concentration from 526±30 to a 1.39±0.73 mg/ L, corresponding to a removal efficiency of 99.73±0.14%. Increasing solid retention time (SRT) resulted in an increase in mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), leading to improved efficiency in removal of formaldehyde from the MBR. Flux decline during MBR operation was caused by accumulation of MLSS on the membrane surface. SRT did not affect flux decline, but did affect flux recovery after cleaning. Long SRT (60 days) led to greater flux recovery than shorter SRTs (30 and 10 days). |
| Author Keywords: | 
| Flux decline |
| Formaldehyde |
| Membrane bioreactor |
| Solid retention time |
| Ultrafiltration |
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