TREATMENT OF ANAEROBIC EXPANDED-BED REACTOR EFFLUENT USING CROSS-FLOWMICROFILTRATION

The feasibility of treating turbid effluent from anaerobic expanded re actor was investigated using crossflow microfiltration in conjunction with dynamic membranes. The primary membrane used throughout the study was made of woven polyester, while the dynamic membrane was formed fr om manganese dioxide (MnO2) precipitate. Effluent from the anaerobic e xpanded-bed reactor was treated with and without the addition of a slu g dose of a coagulant. Removal efficiency of solids was found to be af fected by the hydraulic retention time (HRT) at which the expanded-bed reactor was operating. Bacterial removal was also found to be a funct ion of the HRT. Dosing a slug dose of a coagulant was seen to have a s ignificant effect on the permeate flux and quality which was attribute d to agglomeration of particles in the feed.