Detailed characterization of biopolymers for unraveling mechanism of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20448
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0303:Civil engineering, social systems engineering, safety engineering, disaster prevention engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Chuo University
• Principal Investigator: Kakuda Takayuki 中央大学, 理工学部, 助教 (30963574)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 下水処理 / 膜分離活性汚泥法 / 膜ファウリング / バイオポリマー / LC-OCD / 水晶振動子マイクロバランス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Biopolymers (BP) are key players causing membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). In this study,BP with different characteristic were sucessfully isolated from a pilot-scale MBR treating municipal wastewater. It was suggested that BP with low molecular wight caued serious irreversible fouling. Affinity of BP to membrane materail detemined by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis was correlated with fouling rates in the MBR.Ceramic membranes might be useful for mitigation of membrane fouling caused by BP. Polysaccharids derived from bacterial cell wall were identified as critical components in BP.

Free Research Field

環境工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では世界に先駆けて実都市下水を処理するパイロットスケールMBR槽内BPの詳細な特性を検討した。BPの諸特性変化とMBRにおける膜ファウリング発生の関係が明確に示された。また、BPによる深刻な膜ファウリングを回避するための膜材質として、セラミックが有用である可能性を見出した。細菌の細胞壁由来の多糖類はBPの重要な構成成分である可能性が高く、今後従来のBPモデル物質（アルギン酸ナトリウム）に代わる適切なモデルBPを提案できる可能性が示された。