6. Conclusions

5. Integration of MBRs with other technologies

wastewater)

Easy to operate

to conventional MBR

contaminants

FO membrane

to conventional MBR

Smaller footprint

Reduce membrane fouling

High shock resistance capacity Reduce membrane fouling Smaller footprint

Membrane distillation Enhances biodegradation of recalcitrant compounds Low sludge yield Higher effluent quality Excellent process stability

Biofilm/bio-entrapped MBR Reduces the concentration of suspended solids

processes

Granular MBR Improve nitrification and denitrification processes

FO-MBR Produce good effluent quality

RO-MBR Low fouling tendency

Integrated technology of

60 Wastewater and Water Quality

Advanced oxidation processes/electrocoagulation-

MBR

MBR

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have recently emerged with integrated MBR systems, along with other treatment technologies. The purposes of the integrated MBR are to improve qualities of permeates, mitigate membrane fouling, and enhance the stability of the treatment process. Recent studies have provided improvements in the degradation of micropollutants using integrated

> Effective in removal of recalcitrant contaminants (pharmaceutical

Reduces the production of excess sludge

Low energy consumption as compared

Low fouling tendency compared to RO Effective in removal of trace organic

Cost of RO membrane is cheaper than

Low energy consumption as compared

Cost-effective compared to RO process

Improve nitrification and denitrification

Table 5. Advantages and disadvantages of various integrated MBRs in wastewater treatment technology [55].

Effective in removing colors

Reduce membrane fouling

Fouling is largely reversible Effective in treatment of wastewater with high TSS as compared to RO

Phosphorus recovery

Advantages Disadvantages and limitations

high TSS

High capital and operational cost

Uncertainly of stability of membrane Increasing salinity/salt accumulation might decrease the microbial kinetics and water flux

Not effective in treatment of high-salinity

Membrane fouling might be severe at the later

Membrane fouling might be severe at the later

Long start-up period of granule formation

wastewater compared to FO

Low removal of COD

stage of treatment

stage of treatment

Not effective in treatment of wastewater with

In recent years, pharmaceutical products have been a cause for concern due to the persistence of their presence in aquatic environments. Drugs are known to be involved in a variety of aquatic environments, including domestic wastewater, hospital discharges, sewage treatment plants, and water treatment plants.

Pharmaceutical products can preserve their original concentrations and structures, or they can be mobilized for life in water matrices and converted to other active (or inactive) compounds. The presence of micropollutants in aqueous environments is an increasing concern due to their potentially harmful effects on aquatic life. Since this situation poses a serious danger to the environment, the treatment of these pollutants is very important.

As it is clear from this work, today's CAS is not sufficient for the destruction of many pharmaceutical substances in the wastewater of the AAT. For these pollutants, the use of MBR systems developed by adding membranes to CAS systems has begun to be used, and these are often more effective at removing pollutant concentrations than traditional biological treatment systems. MBR technology has become a reliable and valuable option with many advantages. However, in addition to its advantages, membrane fouling is a major obstacle to the development of these systems. To this end, it will be useful to focus on the reduction of energy demand and membrane contamination during operation, along with the development of integrated MBR systems, with future research. Further work is needed to assess which system actually makes more cost–benefit and to investigate the toxicity of micropollutants and the effect of working conditions after processing.
