Membrane Bioreactor: A Review on the Operating Parameters and Parameters Related to the Characteristics of Biomass

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is the combination of a membrane process with a suspended growth bioreactor and has been widely used for removing organic and inorganic contaminants as well as microorganisms from municipal and industrial wastewaters due to its distinct advantages over conventional technologies. In order to achieve the high quality of treated wastewater and reduce fouling in the MBR systems, several factors must be optimized. In the current study, at first, different types of MBRs were reviewed in terms of aeration, configuration, material and the membrane modules. Then the operational parameters affecting the performance of the MBR such as the hydraulic retention time, sludge retention time and concentration of feed inlet and also the parameters related to biomass characteristics such as biomass concentration, particle size distribution, microbial products (extracellular polymeric substances and soluble microbial products) and morphology of biomass were reviewed.