1 ROLE OF MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Replacement of conventional tertiary treatment components by membrane filtration was the first step of membrane application in water and wastewater treatment processes. Depletion of water resources, increasing water price and stringent regulation caused the development of various combination of membrane with other conventional treatment components. Membrane bioreactor is becoming one of such flourishing technology in water and wastewater treatment field. Researches are underway to find the most efficient and economical combination of biological and membrane processes for the purpose of water recycle and reuse. Based on the literature review and field experimental studies, submersible bioreactors are found economical compared with other combinations due to its low energy requirements and compact size. High energy saving, low F/M ratio, higher percentage of COD, BOD, nitrogen, pathogen removal are some of the advantages of membrane bioreactor. Rapid population growth, urbanization and industrialization have exerted enormous pressure on earth’s natural resources. Water, although available in large quantities, is not uniformly distributed. Most of the available water is either unsuitable for use or difficult to extract. Ove