A Submerged Membrane Bioreactor with Anoxic-oxic Recycle for the Treatment of High-strength Nitrogen Wastewater

Using the hollow fiber membrane module in a lab-scale membrane bioreactor, the anoxic- oxic (AO) process for nitrogen removal was operated for about one year. For the influent wastewater containing 1,200-1,400 mg $1^{-1}$ of CODcr and 200-310 mg $1^{-1}$ of nitrogen, this process achieved a high quality effluent of less than 30 mgCOD $liter^{-1}$ and 50 mgN $liter^{-1}$. The removal rate of organics was above 98% at a loading rate larger than 2.5 kgCOD $m^{-3}$$d^{-1}$. When the internal recycle from the oxic to the anoxic reactor changed room 2n to 600% rout the influent flow rate, the nitrogen removal rate increased from about 70 to 90% at a loading rate of 0.4 kgT-N m-s d-1. The initial increase of transmembrane pressure (TMP) was observed after a 4-month operation while maintaining the flux and MLSS concentration at 7-9 1 $m^2$ $h^{-1}$ and 6,000-14,000 mg $1^{-1}$, respectively. The TMP could be maintained below 15 cmHg for an 8-month operation. The chemical cleaning with an acid followed by an immersion in an alkali solution gave better cleaning result with the membrane operated for 10 month rather than that only by an alkali immersion.