Preliminary Evaluation of a Dynamic Membrane Photobioreactor for Domestic Wastewater Treatment: Nutrient Removal and Membrane Build-Up

Abstract

Dynamic membrane technology has recently been investigated for wastewater treatment due to its reduced installation and operating costs compared to conventional membrane systems. However, it has been little studied in combination with photobioreactors, which provide efficient nutrient removal. This study investigates the feasibility of dynamic membrane photobioreactors for the secondary treatment of domestic wastewater. A laboratory unit equipped with a nylon module was tested using a mixed culture of microalgae-bacteria, which removed 93% and 76% of phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively. However, the dynamic membrane build-up on the support layer shows non-uniform growth, a compact structure with low permeability and is not able to effectively separate the suspension from the effluent.