Electro living membrane bioreactor for highly efficient wastewater treatment and fouling mitigation: Influence of current density on process performances

The next generation of the self-forming dynamic membrane, referred to in this study as the “Living Membrane (LM)”, is a new patented technology based on an encapsulated biological layer that self-forms on a designed coarse-pore size support material during wastewater treatment and acts as a natural membrane filter. Integrating electrochemical processes with wastewater treatment using the LM approach has also been recently studied (the reactor is referred to as the Electro-Living Membrane Bioreactor or e-LMBR). This study investigated the effects of varying current densities, i.e., 0.3, 0.5, and 0.9 mA/cm², on the performance of an e-LMBR. The results were also compared with those of the Living Membrane Bioreactor or LMBR (without applied current density). Higher pollutant removals were observed in the presence of the electric field. However, the effect of varying applied current densities on the COD (98–99 %), NH₃-N (97–99 %), and PO₄ ³⁻ –P (100 %) removals was not statistically significant. The more prominent differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the decrease of NO₃ ⁻-N concentrations from mixed liquor to effluent, with increasing current density resulting in lower mean NO₃ ⁻-N effluent concentrations (0.3 mA/cm²: 6.13 mg/L; 0.5 mA/cm²: 4.38 mg/L; 0.9 mA/cm²: 3.70 mg/L). The reduction of NO₃ ⁻-N concentrations as wastewater permeated through the LM layer also confirmed its role in removing nitrogen-containing compounds. Higher current densities resulted in lower concentrations of fouling substances, particularly those of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs). The average values of the temporal variation of transmembrane pressure (d(TMP)/d(t)) in the e-LMBR were extremely low, in the range of 0.013–0.041 kPa/day, throughout the operation period. The highest (d(TMP)/d(t)) was observed for the highest current density. However, the TMP values remained below 2 kPa in all the e-LMBR runs even after the initial LM formation stage.