ENSE Seminar Series
Prof. Ng How Yong
Sunday, February 25
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Bldg. 19 Level 3, Hall 3
The Opportunities and Challenges of Anaerobic MBR for Wastewater Treatment & Reuse and Energy Recovery
Biography
Dr. Ng is a Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA) and serves as an Associate Editor of Water Research, an Editor of the Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination and a Topical Editor of Drinking Water Engineering and Science. In recognition of his academic excellence, Dr. Ng received the 2014 IWA Asia Pacific Regional Project Innovation Awards (Applied Research – Honour Award), the 2009 National University of Singapore Young Researcher Award, the 2008 Singapore Youth Award, the 2007 Singapore Young Scientist Award and the 2006 IWA Young Professionals Award.
Abstract
The performance of the lab-scale Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) was investigated using ceramic membranes with different pore sizes to elucidate membrane fouling mechanisms. For domestic wastewater, COD removal efficiencies achieved by the AnMBRs were about 88.6±9.0%, producing an effluent with COD and ammonium concentration of 35.8±26.8 and 40.2±2.3 mg/L, respectively, which can be potentially used for agricultural irrigation. Long-term fouling rates were higher with bigger pore size due to pore blockages by dissolved organic matters. The application of biocarriers in the AnMBR reduced membrane fouling rates due to enhanced physically scouring of membrane surfaces.
AnMBR was further explored for the treatment of high saline and organic strength pharmaceutical wastewater. Two AnMBRs with two different type of innoculants – conventional anaerobic digested sludge and halophic microorganisms from intertidal wetland sediment were compared. The results showed that halophic microorganisms from intertidal wetland sediment could achieve much superior organic removal efficiency than that of the anaerobic digested sludge at 71.4±3.7 and 32.3±6.1%, respectively. Fluorescent-in-situ-hybridization analysis confirmed the presence of a higher relative abundance of methanogenic populations and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing found several microbial groups related with degradation of hardly biodegradable compounds in the AnMBR inoculated with halophic microorganisms.