Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Pretel, R.
• Robles, A.
• Ruano, M.V.
• Seco, A.
• Ferrer, J.

Titel

Environmental impact of submerged anaerobic MBR (SAnMBR) technology used to treat urban wastewater at different temperatures

Ist Teil von

• Bioresource technology, 2013-12, Vol.149, p.532-540

Ort / Verlag

Kidlington: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• •A sustainability study of a SAnMBR system was conducted at different temperatures.•Energy consumption, nutrient recovery and sludge disposal were studied.•Operating at ambient temperature resulted in low energy demands: about 0.19kWhm−3.•Capture of methane dissolved in the effluent means considerable energy savings.•The life cycle assessment revealed the importance of capturing methane and nutrients. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental impact of a submerged anaerobic MBR (SAnMBR) system in the treatment of urban wastewater at different temperatures: ambient temperature (20 and 33°C), and a controlled temperature (33°C). To this end, an overall energy balance (OEB) and life cycle assessment (LCA), both based on real process data, were carried out. Four factors were considered in this study: (1) energy consumption during wastewater treatment; (2) energy recovered from biogas capture; (3) potential recovery of nutrients from the final effluent; and (4) sludge disposal. The OEB and LCA showed SAnMBR to be a promising technology for treating urban wastewater at ambient temperature (OEB=0.19kWhm−3). LCA results reinforce the importance of maximising the recovery of nutrients (environmental impact in eutrophication can be reduced up to 45%) and dissolved methane (positive environmental impact can be obtained) from SAnMBR effluent.