This investigation evaluates the use of organic ionic salt solutions as draw solutions for specific use in osmotic membrane bioreactors. Also, this investigation presents a simple method for determining the diffusion coefficient of ionic salt solutions using only a characterized membrane. A selection of organic ionic draw solutions underwent a desktop screening process before being tested in th...

We describe a unique, versatile bioreactor consisting of two plates and a modified commercial porous membrane suitable for in vitro analysis of the liver sinusoid. The modular bioreactor allows i) excellent control of the cell seeding process; ii) cell culture under controlled shear stress stimulus, and; iii) individual analysis of each cell type upon completion of the experiment. The advantage...

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) was operated for the removal of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from water. Although the reactor was seeded with several cultures acclimated to MTBE degradation, a long start-up time was observed. Monitoring of the reactor with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed a dramatic shift in the MBR culture from the original seed culture, indicating that th...

A pilot-scale study of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process in southern Taiwan is presented in this paper. A 10 m/day capacity MBR plant consisting of an aeration tank and a membrane bioreactor was installed to remove organic matter (measured in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD)). The performance of the MBR was monitored for a period of 140 days. The re...

Membrane bioreactor systems can enhance anaerobic lactic acid fermentation by reducing product inhibition, thus increasing productivity. In batch fermentations, the bioconversion of glucose is strongly inhibited in the presence of more than 100 g·L-1 lactic acid and is only possible when the product is simultaneously removed, which can be achieved by ceramic membrane filtration. The crossflow v...

As the principal objective, this present study compares the purifying performances of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) with the conventional activated sludge used from the wastewater treatment plant of Beni Messous (Algiers) with the average characteristics in the chemical oxygen demand being 586 mg/L and 188 mg/L in the biochemical oxygen demand and 14 NTU of turbidity. The membrane bioreactor re...

Membrane fouling limits the effects of long-term stable operation of membrane bioreactor (MBR). Control of membrane fouling can extend the membrane life and reduce water treatment cost effectively. A pilot scale anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR, 40 L/hr) was used to treat the hyperhaline municipal sewage from a processing zone of Tianjin, China. Impact factors including mixed liquid ...