Role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in membrane fouling of membrane bioreactor coupled with worm reactor

This study focused on the effect of worm reactor on the fouling behaviors of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in the MBR coupled with Static Sequencing Batch Worm Reactor (SSBWR-MBR). The filtration tests showed that the C-EPS (EPS in Control-MBR) and S-EPS (EPS in SSBWR-MBR) resulted in 76% and 67% of flux decrement, respectively. On both fouling layers, the preferential accumulation was protein, but the adsorption efficiency for protein in C-EPS was 20% higher than that in S-EPS. In comparison with the membrane fouled by C-EPS, the bio-volume of protein on the membrane fouled by S-EPS reduced 33%, and the protein porosity increased 20%. Meanwhile, the S-EPS approaching the membrane had to overcome × 2.4 stronger repulsive interaction energy than C-EPS, and the membrane fouled by S-EPS exhibited relatively smoother compared to that fouled by C-EPS. As a result, the fouling potential of S-EPS was lower than that of C-EPS.