Skip to main content
Log in

Use of MBR to sustain active biomass for treatment of low organic load grey water

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the local small-scale treatment of grey water (mainly shower water) of a sports centre to be reused for recreational irrigation. Due to the low organic load which limits the growth and aggregation of biomass, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was selected for this purpose. A pilot-scale system was operated and studied for more than 1 year in the conduct of this task. The MBR process proved to be a very efficient biological treatment stage, producing superior effluents with low BOD5, NH4 + and TSS. Detergents and COD were degraded efficiently and the effluents did not contain total coliforms and faecal coliforms. Due to the low organic load, biomass accumulation was very slow and the system could reach and function at relatively low mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS) levels. The MBR ultrafiltration module thus was able to produce a steady permeate flux for more than 1 year just with air scouring and without membrane backwash or chemical regenerating. Another important advantage was the minimal requirement for excess sludge wastage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APHA, AWWA, WPCF (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. American Public Health Association/American Water Works Association/Water Pollution Control Federation, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson E, Auffarth K, Henze M, Ledin A (2002) Characteristics of grey wastewater. Urb Water 4(1):85–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedler E (2008) The water saving potential and the socio-economic feasibility of greywater reuse within the urban sector—Israel as a case study. Int J Environ Stud 65(1):57–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghunmi LA (2011) Grey water treatment systems: a review. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 41(7):657–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goddard M (2006) Urban greywater reuse at the D’LUX development. Desalination 188:135–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson B, Palmer A, Jeffrey P, Stuetz R, Judd S (2004) Grey water characterisation and its impact on the selection and operation of technologies for urban reuse. Water Sci Technol 50(2):157–164

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lamine M, Bousselmi L, Ghrabi A (2007) Biological treatment of grey water using sequencing batch reactor. Desalination 215:127–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Melin T, Jefferson B, Bixio D, Thoeye C, De Wilde W, De Koning J, Wintgens T (2006) Membrane bioreactor technology for wastewater treatment and reuse. Desalination 187(1):271–282

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ottoson J, Stenstrom TA (2003) Faecal contamination of greywater and associated microbial risks. Water Res 37(3):645–655

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paris S, Schlapp C (2010) Greywater recycling in Vietnam—application of the HUBER MBR process. Desalination 250(3):1027–1030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rose JB, Sun G-S, Gerba CP, Sinclair N (1991) Microbial quality and persistence of enteric pathogens in graywater from various household sources. Water Res 25(1):37–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santasmasas C, Rovira M, Clarens F, Valderrama C (2013a) Wastewater treatment by MBR pilot plant: flat sheet and hollow fiber case studies. Desalin Water Treat 51(10–12):2423–2430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santasmasas C, Rovira M, Clarens F, Valderrama C (2013b) Grey water reclamation by decentralized MBR prototype. Resour Conserv Recycl 72:102–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng S, Dong X, Chen J, Li P (2013) Planning an urban wastewater system with centralised greywater reuse: a case in Beijing. Civ Eng Environ Syst 30(1):40–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asher Brenner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liberman, N., Shandalov, S., Forgacs, C. et al. Use of MBR to sustain active biomass for treatment of low organic load grey water. Clean Techn Environ Policy 18, 1219–1224 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1112-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1112-4

Keywords

Navigation