ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the possibility of integrating membrane techniques with biological methods for treatment of industrial and kitchen wastewater, with emphasis on two different concepts: Membrane bioreactor (MBR) and Microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Both of these ideas have been conceived of and intensively studied as promising routes to achieve sustainable wastewater treatment through biological intervention for degradation of COD/BOD followed by membrane filtration for mass (water) or proton transfer. However, several doubts and debates arose mitigating the technical feasibility and economic viability of these technologies on a large scale in real-world applications. Hence, it is time to examine how to recalibrate their roles in the future paradigm of sustainable treatment. Analysis of MBR treated effluents revealed a sharp reduction in various parameters like COD, TDS, turbidity, and conductivity by using a mixed microbial consortium of bacterial strain in both submerged and side-stream MBR incorporated with a high flux membrane of 10 kDa MWCO. Both MFC and MBR exhibited potential for reclamation of at least 50 to 75% of the wastewater for reuse in gardening, washing and irrigation, as well as industrial cooling systems, recreational lakes and other indirect human uses. MBRs and MFCs can be taken up for pilot scale study as they reveal potential for removal of all the impurities with simple operation and maintenance protocols.
