The development and comparison of the novel forward osmosis membrane bioreactor in the aerobic and anaerobic configuration

Abstract

The novel forward osmosis membrane bioreactor (FOMBR) has been successfully and comparatively studied in both aerobic and anaerobic configurations. Given the current levels of technology for forward osmosis membranes, aerobic FOMBRs out-performed anaerobic configurations on all counts. In detail, the severe fouling phenomenon and subsequent biodegradation of the biodegradable cellulose triacetate (CTA) forward osmosis membranes have led to the rapid inhibition and deterioration of anaerobic performance. This study also saw the successful marriage of macro-level quantitative measurements like Chemical Oxygen Demand, Ion Chromatography etc, with DNA-level analysis to achieve complementary understanding of the complex phenomenon, which is FOMBR system.