Electrocoagulation integrated hybrid membrane bioreactor for tannery wastewater treatment

Abstract

The present research is aimed at proposing a hybrid membrane newlineprocess integrating electrocoagulation HMBR with the possible newlineimprovement in the treatment efficiency of tannery wastewater and also to newlineinvestigate its viability in fouling mitigation The work is divided into three newlinemodules The first module checks the technical feasibility of newlineelectrocoagulation EC in treating tannery wastewater with reduced fouling newlineof membranes using dead end filtration The optimal operating condition for newlineelectrocoagulation has been analyzed critically EC was followed by the newlineactivated sludge process and microfiltration to investigate the treatment newlineefficiency of the hybrid process The incorporation of electrocoagulation to newlineMembrane Bioreactor MBR has been found to increase its treatment newlineeffectiveness permeate flux and in turn reduced fouling Quantitative newlinereduction of fouling has been calculated by the concept of percentage newlinereduction in the permeate flux PRPF HMBR showed considerable 11 of newlineless fouling when compared to MBR Higher particle coagulation has been newlineaffirmed by the SEM EDAX analysis of the cake layer formed over the newlinemembrane The maximum chemical oxygen demand COD and colour newlineremoval of HMBR and MBR were found to be 902 9275 and 7269 newline7582 respectively showing the upper hand of the integrated process newlineOther dead end filtration experiments were carried out in the second newlinephase to study the influence of electrocoagulation in retaining heavy metals newlineby the membranes and its effect on fouling EC process was optimized for the newlinetreatment of synthetic waste water containing mixed heavy metals Ni Zn and newlineCd and maximum removal efficiency of 95 for Ni and 98 for Zn and Cd newlinehas been found at a current density of 10mAcm2 pH of 66 and 100ppm of newlineinitial metal concentration Further refinement was brought about by newlinemicrofiltration The flocs containing adsorbed heavy metals were effectively newlineretained by the membrane which has been confirmed by newlineSEMEDX analysis newline newline