A membrane electrochemical bioreactor (MEBR) is a hybrid system that takes advantage of both bioelectrochemical system (BES) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) to recover energy and resource from wastewater. It can resolve the BES problem of low effluent quality, and it mitigates energy consumption. However, for those using ultrafiltration (UF) or microfiltration (MF) in MEBRs, the pressure driven process suffered severe membrane fouling. In this study, novel electrically conductive membranes are used as both the filtration barrier and the electrodes to reduce fouling and improve energy recovery. Preliminary findings show that the energy production can be improved through active harvesting, and fouling can be mitigated through produced gas sparging and electrochemical reactions on the membrane surface. The new membranes carries good potential for the next generation of wastewater treatment and reuse.<br/>

Electrically conductive membrane for energy and resource recovery in membrane electrochemical bioreactors

251st National Meeting (2016)

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