Novel Anaerobic Dynamic Membrane Biofilm Reactor Addresses Disadvantages of Conventional Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) provide many advantages for wastewater treatment and resource recovery from waste streams, and AnMBR research has grown exponentially in recent years. Studies have shown that AnMBRs can successfully treat a wide variety of
wastewaters at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures, and psychrophillic temperatures in some applications. However, substantial challenges remain, including energy intensive fouling mitigation, low fluxes, and significant effluent dissolved methane. A biofilm reactor incorporating a 3D-printed filtration module was designed to address these challenges so that the benefits of AnMBRs can be applied to wastewater treatment and resource
recovery.