Effect of Membrane Type for the Treatment of Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) Wastewater with a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Batch Experiments

Organized industrial zone (OIZ) wastewater is a mixed wastewater that is contributed by both municipal use and from different industrial sectors. Since MBR has advantages over conventional treatment plants, membrane types and fouling become the most important parameters in the treatment of this kind of wastewater. In this study, six different membrane types were used to find the most suitable membrane with the least resistivity to fouling. Three different microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were operated to estimate their (i) membrane, (ii) cake, (iii) pore, and (iv) total resistances. The highest total resistance was observed in a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane (3.8 x 10(10) m(-1)), while the lowest one was a UF polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with approximately 20 times lower resistance than the highest one. PVDF membranes showed lower total resistances than PES membranes. An MF or a 250 kDa UF membrane could be operated long-term in a membrane bioreactor with the least fouling potential.