Biological wastewater treatment plays a central role in the way societies manage their wastewaters. It is based on the action of a wide variety of microorganisms who degrade the organic pollutants present in the wastewater. The retention of bacteria inside the treatment system is then a key operational feature, which can be achieved by membrane filtration. During membrane filtration very fine filters, called membranes, are used. Anaerobic wastewater treatment is a well know technology that has been successfully applied for waste stabilization for several decades. It takes advantage of the anaerobic degradation of organic matter, a process that occurs in many natural environments. No oxygen is required, and biogas containing combustible methane is produced, which can be used as a source of energy. During the present research the application of membrane filtration to the anaerobic digestion process was studied. The use of membranes showed to be an efficient way to keep the valuable anaerobic bacteria inside the reactor system, providing a treated water of high quality.
Title thesis: Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment: Feasibility and Potential Applications