The performance of integrated ultrasonic membrane anaerobic system (IUMAS) in treating sugar cane wastewater

Sugarcane mill effluent (SCME) causes severe environmental pollution due to its high concentration in term of pollutants. Conventional methods of treating SCME have disadvantages from both environmental and economic perspectives. Most of the treatment methods used the membrane as a solution to wastewater pollution problems but suffering from membrane fouling. In this study, the potentials of Integrated Ultrasonic Assisted Membrane Anaerobic System (IUMAS) in treating sugarcane mill effluent was investigated. In this research different organic loading rates were used as a fed to the system, which operated semi-continuously at mesophilic temperature 30°C to 35°C and pressure ranges of 1.5–2 bars. Seven steady states were accomplished as a part of a kinetic study that considered concentration ranges of 2500 mg/L to 6000 mg/L for mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). The aim was to obtain optimum operating conditions and maximum methane production as well as the performance of IUMAS comparing with membrane anaerobic system (MAS) in treating SCME. IUMAS depicted better performance as compared to MAS in treating the sugarcane mill effluent (SCME) as it achieved higher percentage removal efficiencies for COD, BOD, turbidity and TSS which were 96.12%, 67%, 94%and 98.8%, respectively. While higher percentage removal efficiencies for MAS were 93.8%, 66.3%, 73.8% and 97.4%. The highest methane percentage was 80.9 % for IUMAS compared with MAS was 77.3%. The SCME characterized to investigate by using a different analytical approach such as SEM/EDX, and FTIR. SEM morphology analysis for IUMAS, the permeate flux for the membrane filtration of SCME increased while for MAS decreased the permeate flux due to fouling problem. For FTIR in both methods obtained 5 identified peaks before treatment. However, after treatment indicated 6 and 5 identified peaks for IUMAS and MAS. Kinetic equations from Monod, Contois and Chen and Hashimoto were employed used IUMAS to describe the kinetics of SCME treatment. The correlation coefficient was 54% for Monod, 85% for Contois model and 91% for Chen and Hashimoto model. From the highest, R2 the best fitting in Chen and Hashimoto model. The growth yield coefficient Y and the specific microorganism decay rate b were determined as 0.23 g VSS/g COD and 0.0214 day-1 respectively. An optimization study for the preparation conditions of the selected optimum parameters for maximum methane gas was investigated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The determining factors such as pH, OLR, COD, and HRT were initially screened using 2 level factorial approach. The screening revealed that the effect of the above parameters was significant. Furthermore, the impact of these four operating parameters were investigated using the central composite design (CCD) techniques. The results presented the optimum conditions for methane yield from SCME were pH 7.1, OLR 8 kg COD/m3/day, COD HRT 5.65 day with CH4 84.7%. The results obtained in this study have exposed the capability of ultrasonic-assisted membrane anaerobic system (IUMAS) in treating SCME wastewater. Thus, this method can be a promising source for treating all industrial wastewater

Characterization and optimization of the performance of an integrated ultrasonic membrane anaerobic (IUMAS) in treating pome as substrate

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a highly polluting wastewater with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). These causes severe pollution to the environment, and water resources. Traditional ways of treating POME are disadvantageous from both economic and environmental perspectives. In this Thesis, the potential of an integrated ultrasonic membrane anaerobic system (IUMAS) for the treatment of POME was investigated. The work began with some characterization studies to provide understandings of fundamental issues for wastewater treatment. This research used different organic loading rates from 0.5 to 13 kg/COD/m3/d as a fed to the system, which operated as semi-continuously at mesophilic temperature from 25-35 °C and pressure ranges of 1.5-2 bars. The IUMAS overall efficiency has been evaluated under six steady states and the influent COD varied between 70,000 to 80,000 mg/L. IUMAS depicted better performance as compared to membrane anaerobic system MAS results in treating the palm oil mill effluent, POME as it achieved higher percentage removal efficiencies for COD, BOD, Turbidity and total suspended solids, TSS which are 97%, 80%, 96% and 98.6% respectively. The highest methane gas percentage, CH4 was 84.5%. The POME characterized qualitatively using SEM, EDX and FTIR. IUMAS performed better compared to MAS. Monod, Contois, Chen and Hashimoto kinetics models were used to estimate the performance of IUMAS for POME sludge treatment and the system has shown good prediction and Chen and Hashimoto model has shown the best fittings of 90%. An optimization study for the preparation conditions of the selected optimum parameters for maximum methane gas production was investigated using Response Surface Methodology, RSM. The determining factors such as pH, organic loading rates, OLR, COD, and Hydraulic retention time, HRT were initially screened using 2 level factorial approach. The screening revealed that the effect of screened parameters was significant. Furthermore, the impact of these four operating parameters were investigated using the faced central design techniques. The results presented the optimum conditions for highest methane yield is 88.7% from POME were pH, 6.9; OLR, 6.5kg COD/m3/day, COD, 74,000 mg/L, and HRT, 5 days. The results obtained in this study have exposed the capability of integrated ultrasonic membrane anaerobic system, IUMAS, in treating POME wastewater

The Potentials of an Integrated Ultrasonic Membrane Anaerobic System (IUMAS) in Treating Sugar Cane Wastewater

Excess levels of organic and inorganic matters in the discharge from sugarcane mill effluent (SCME) wastewater, causes the earnest environmental issue. In this study, a single unit integrated ultrasonic membrane anaerobic system (IUMAS) has been investigated for industrial sugarcane wastewater treatment. As the “Membrane-fouling” is one of the main constraints of IUMAS which eventually reduce the processing ability. In the present study, most researchers resort to cost reduction. IUMAS was alternatively applied as an economical approach for SCME wastewater treatment. The application of “Multiple-analysis” methods (COD, BOD, TSS) and three kinetic models during the treatment, suggested the specific range of organic loading rate to produce biogas. The result showed the increased methane gas production up to 80% in the biogas, with 94 -96% of COD removal efficiency from the SCME wastewater. Results concluded the effective efficiency of IUMAS to reduce the membrane fouling and treatment of SCME wastewater as well as enhanced production of methane gas