Using a membrane aerated biofilm reactor as a nitrogen removal device in wastewater treatment

• Grant number: 14/09591-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Tsunao Matsumoto
• Grantee: Tsunao Matsumoto
• Host Investigator: Juan Alfredo Jacome Burgos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade da Coruña (UDC), Spain

Abstract

The technology of submerged aerated biofilm reactor was widely studied since the 1980s (Koeser & Schlegel , 2007; Gonçalves , Rogala & Sammut , 1992) , using various media for growth stuck in anoxic for denitrification and aerated chambers means to promote the removal of carbonaceous matter and ammonium oxidation changing into nitrites and nitrates .However, the use of capillary membranes as a microorganism support of aerated biofilm had its most recent disclosure (Brindle Semmens & Stephenson, 1998; Terada et al, 2003; Jácome et al, 2006; Matsumoto, Tsuneda & Terada, 2007). This technology emerged as an alternative support media to removal nitrogen and phosphorus. It has been use in an unconventional way of membrane bioreactors, which also began its development in the same time.The work being to develop at the University of Coruña, has aimed to work with a simultaneous treatment system to remove carbonaceous and nitrogenous matter with Membranes Aerated Biofilm Reactor, which has been study by Prof. Dr. Juan Alfredo Jácome Burgos, in recent years. The system has reached removals of total nitrogen in the order of 75%, nearly twice the efficiency of conventional activated sludge systems or other similar treatments.This research aims to use a Tubular Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (TMABR) in Total Nitrogen removal from sewage.