Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for bamboo industry wastewater treatment

Bamboo industry wastewater (BIWW) poses severe environmental problems because of its high organic matter content. In this study, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) was applied for BIWW treatment. During the start-up stage, the system presented an effective degradation with a final COD removal of 91%. Compared to the intermittent mode, a higher membrane rejection (45% COD, 60% NH3–N) was obtained when the system was operated continuously. N2 flushing was applied for membrane cleaning, and the cleaning efficiency was significantly influenced by the hydraulic retention time (HRT). While operated under HRT ⩾ 5 d, membrane fouling could be effectively controlled. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray (SEM–EDX) analysis indicated the membrane top area suffered the most serious fouling. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses revealed most organic matter in BIWW was eliminated by AnMBR. However, benzene and fluoro derivatives were detected in the permeate as the by-products.