Operation of integrated sequencing batch membrane bioreactor treating dye-containing wastewater at different SRTs: study of overall performance and fouling behavior

The main aim of the present work was to study the overall performance and the fouling behavior of the integrated sequencing batch membrane bioreactor (SBMBR) treating synthetic dye-containing wastewater at different sludge retention times (SRTs) of 10, 40, and 160 days. For this reason, the removal efficiencies of color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the membrane fouling rates as well as the main sludge characteristics including extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), soluble microbial products (SMP), particle size distribution (PSD), and apparent viscosity were evaluated during the operation time of three SBMBRs. According to the obtained results, the decolorization efficiency was found to increase with increasing the SRT while the COD removal efficiency was similarly high (94–97 %) in all SBMBRs regardless of SRT change. The rate of rise of transmembrane pressure (TMP) was much lower in the SBMBR operating at SRT of 160 days compared with the two other SBMBRs. Cake development on the membrane surface was recognized as the predominant fouling mechanism in three SBMBRs. Among the stated sludge properties, specific EPS and uniformity coefficient of the particle size distribution were suggested to be the controlling factors of the membrane fouling rate in three SBMBRs. During the operation at prolonged SRT (160 days in this study), better decolorization efficiency and lower biofouling rate were obtained in SBMBR system.