Abstract

The submerged membrane electro-bioreactor (SMEBR) system has been proven to be effective for wastewater treatment, especially for nutrient removal. In this study, the SMEBR treatment efficiency was compared to conventional MBR treatment applied to the same municipal wastewater. The study was carried out in two side by side continuous flow reactors with the volume 14 liters over 6 months in lab. The changes in sludge quality, effluent quality and operational condition were recorded for both reactors while different C/N ratios (from 3 to 1) had been applied. The results proved that under an adequate dissolved oxygen and current density, the use of SMEBR under the low C/N ratio could improve total nitrogen and phosphorus removal by 30% (more than 50% of TN removal) and more than 99% respectively compared to MBR. Meanwhile, under the low C/N ratio, research has proven the SMEBR’s high tolerance and fast recovery from the shock loading condition, helped balancing pH in the sludge, reduced membrane fouling and improved sludge dewatering properties. The results from this study show the possibility of the application of SMEBR to a variety of municipal wastewater.