Comparative evaluation of a hybrid membrane treatment train versus full-scale aerobic/anoxic activated sludge system: C-N removal performances, syntrophic microbial dynamics, and energy savings

초록

This study presents a novel hybrid membrane treatment train that integrates an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) with a fluidized bed membrane bioreactor enriched with partial nitritation and anammox (FMBRPN/A) for the treatment of industrial wastewater. The system was evaluated in terms of pollutant removal performance, microbial community structure, and energy efficiency, and benchmarked against a conventional full-scale aerobic/anoxic activated sludge system with an integrated constructed wetland (ASN/DN+Wetland). The AnMBR+FMBRPN/A achieved high removal efficiencies for COD (91.1 %) and total nitrogen (70.1 %), matching the performance of the conventional system while operating under low-carbon effluent conditions. Strategic aeration of FMBRPN/A enabled spatial separation of partial nitritation and anammox zones, promoting syntrophic coexistence of ammonium-oxidizing (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing (NOB), denitrifying (DN), and anammox (AMX) microbes in direct contact with the membrane surface, contrasted with microbial dynamics in traditional systems. The AnMBR+FMBRPN/A process had better energy performance, with 26.6 % reduction in electricity consumption (0.55 vs. 0.74 kWh/m3) and added benefits in biomethane recovery and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. These findings point to the potential of hybrid membrane bioreactors to transform industrial nitrogen management towards more efficient and sustainable solutions.

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