Analysis of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) release in anaerobic sludge holding tank and its effects on membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor (MBR)

Amongst sludge reduction strategies, the anaerobic side-stream sludge holding tank (SHT) is of particular interest because it has shown significant sludge reduction efficiency. However, due to the anaerobic and starving environment of the SHT, the release of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science and technology 2014-01, Vol.70 (1), p.82-88
Main Authors: KIM, Byeong-Cheol, NAM, Duck-Hyun, NA, Ji-Hun, KANG, Ki-Hoon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anaerobiosis
Analysis methods
Applied sciences
Batch reactors
Bioreactors
Equipment Design
Exact sciences and technology
Extracellular
Filtration
Fouling
Incubation period
Lysis
Membrane processes
Membranes, Artificial
Microorganisms
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge
Pollution
Polymers - analysis
Reactors
Reduction
Retention time
Sequencing batch reactor
Sewage - chemistry
Sludge
Storage
Time Factors
Waste Disposal, Fluid - instrumentation
Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods
Wastes
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Purification - instrumentation
Water Purification - methods
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Amongst sludge reduction strategies, the anaerobic side-stream sludge holding tank (SHT) is of particular interest because it has shown significant sludge reduction efficiency. However, due to the anaerobic and starving environment of the SHT, the release of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) may be stimulated, and it may hamper the application of the SHT to the membrane bioreactor. In order to investigate the effect of sludge storage on EPS release, sludge samples from a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor coupled with SHT was incubated in a series of bench-scale SHT reactors for different periods of time (0-24 h). The increase in EPS was not significant until 12 h of incubation (9.3%), while 40.9% of the increase was observed in the sample incubated for 24 h. The rapid increase in EPS concentration after 12 h indicates a greater rate of cell lysis than that with EPS consumption as substrate. Since inducing the initial stage of the endogenous phase within microorganisms is a key factor for the successful operation of the SHT for sludge reduction, the retention time for the SHT should be shorter than the time for the sudden increase in EPS release.
ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.2166/wst.2014.198