Performance evaluation and substrate removal kinetics in an up-flow anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor treating simulated high-strength wastewater

The prime objective of the present study is to evaluate the performance of novel up-flow anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor (An-HMBR) treating high-strength wastewater (synthetic) using polyurethane foam as filter media. Treatment efficiency of the entire An-HMBR varied from 88–97% corresponding to 0.67–3.90 d of hydraulic retention time (HRT) with organic loading rate of 6.4–1.06 kg COD m⁻³ d⁻¹. The modified Stover–Kincannon model was the most appropriate model for An-HMBR and anaerobic hybrid bioreactor (excluding membrane). The suspended growth system in An-HMBR could be described by both modified Stover–Kincannon and Grau second order model. The attached growth system in An-HMBR followed conventional Monod’s kinetics. A novel combination of suspended, attached and membrane in single reactor increased the solid retention time to as high as 756 d at 3.9 d HRT which not only improved the COD removal efficiency but also enhanced the performance of the membrane.