Recep Kaan Dereli | Istanbul Technical University (original) (raw)

Papers by Recep Kaan Dereli

Procedia Engineering, 2012

Environmental Technology, 2012

The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil pr... more The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil prices. However, efficient and cost-effective solutions for treating thin stillage wastewater have still to be developed. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology combines classical anaerobic treatment in a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with membrane separation. The combination of these two technologies can achieve a superior effluent quality and also increase biogas production compared to conventional anaerobic solutions. A pilot-scale AnMBR treating thin stillage achieved very high treatment efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal (>98%). An average permeate flux of 4.3 L/m2 x h was achieved at relatively low transmembrane pressure (TMP) values (0.1-0.2 bars) with flat-sheet membranes. Experience gained during the pilot-scale studies provides valuable information for scaling up of AnMBRs treating complex and high-strength wastewaters.

Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems

Water Research, 2015

The influence of substrate acidification on sludge filtration characteristics was systematically ... more The influence of substrate acidification on sludge filtration characteristics was systematically investigated by using short term filtration tests. Four reactors were operated with raw and acidified whey permeate in order to evaluate the effect of acidogens on sludge filterability. The results showed that feeding non-acidified substrate promoted the growth of acidogens which in return decreased the median particle size of the sludge and adversely influenced specific resistance to filtration (SRF). In addition to the presence of acidogens, the food to mass (F:M) ratio was found as an important operation parameter on sludge filterability. Various filterability indicators, such as capillary suction time (CST), SRF and supernatant filterability, tended to became worse at increased F:M ratios. The decreased filterability at high F:M ratio was attributed to the accumulation of soluble microbial products (SMP) in the reactors. Interestingly, impact of acidogens on short term critical flux tests was not significant, but this may be a consequence of the experimental set-up.

Survival and Sustainability, 2010

... for a Municipal Treatment Plant in Turkey RK Dereli, ME Ersahin, CY Gomec, O. Ozdemir, and Iz... more ... for a Municipal Treatment Plant in Turkey RK Dereli, ME Ersahin, CY Gomec, O. Ozdemir, and Izzet Ozturk ... Utilizing the energy produced by the digester, only 30% of the total energy demand and all of the heat energy demand including administration building can be covered. ...

Separation and Purification Technology, 2015

In this study, the filtration performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactors when treating a high ... more In this study, the filtration performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactors when treating a high strength lipid rich wastewater, corn-to-ethanol thin stillage, is evaluated at different solids retention times (SRTs). Long chain fatty acid (LCFA) inhibition, observed at high SRTs, concomitantly occurred with floc deterioration and soluble microbial product release. On the other hand, accumulation of LCFA on the sludge modified its surface hydrophobicity. Remarkably, a lesser degree of fouling was observed at increased sludge hydrophobicity. Cake layer formation was found as the most important contributor to membrane filtration resistance, whereas chemical cleaning tests indicated a low degree of irreversible organic fouling. Moreover, inorganic fouling in the form of phosphorus precipitates was identified both in the cake layer and on the membrane.

Waste Water - Treatment and Reutilization, 2011

Water Science & Technology, 2012

Source-based wastewater characterization and stream segregation provide effective management of i... more Source-based wastewater characterization and stream segregation provide effective management of industrial wastewaters. The characterization of wastewater sources from a confectionery factory was presented and performance of the wastewater treatment plant was evaluated in this study. All of the wastewater sources in the factory, except the vacuum water line, can be characterized by high concentrations of soluble pollutants and low pH. High organic content of the wastewater generated from the confectionery industry promoted the application of anaerobic technology as a pre-treatment before the conventional aerobic treatment. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and biogas production for expanded granular sludge bed reactor were 88% and 1,730 Nm(3)/day, respectively. The effluent from the investigated facility can be used for irrigation provided that conductivity values are within acceptable limits.

Water Science & Technology, 2012

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the energy recovery potential of mesophi... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the energy recovery potential of mesophilic (30-35 °C) anaerobic digestion of animal wastes (manure) at a centralized biogas plant (CBP) for 35,000 cattle. The proposed CBP is composed of an equalization tank followed by pasteurization and 3+[1/2] modules; i.e. each module consists of four completely mixed anaerobic reactors with a capacity of treating the manure from 10,000 cattle. The effect of maize silage loading, as the co-substrate, both on biomethane production and feasibility of the system was also evaluated. Besides, the transport fuel substitutes of the produced biomethane with or without co-substrate were also investigated. Results of the proposed CBP indicated that biomethane production increased ca. 1.65 fold with co-substrate addition and pay-back periods for one module treating 10,000 cattle manure are calculated to be ca. 11 and 7.0 yr without and with silage addition, respectively. Besides, considering the potential revenue when replacing transport fuels, about 74 heavy goods vehicles or 1,560 cars may be powered per year by the biogas produced from the proposed CBP where the co-digestion of manure and maize silage is applied.

Water Research, 2014

Calcium Corn-to-ethanol thin stillage Lipid Long chain fatty acids Magnesium Methanogenic activit... more Calcium Corn-to-ethanol thin stillage Lipid Long chain fatty acids Magnesium Methanogenic activity Precipitation a b s t r a c t The potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for the treatment of lipid rich cornto-ethanol thin stillage was investigated at three different sludge retention times (SRT), i.e. 20, 30 and 50 days. The membrane assisted biomass retention in AnMBRs provided an excellent solution to sludge washout problems reported for the treatment of lipid rich wastewaters by granular sludge bed reactors. The AnMBRs achieved high COD removal efficiencies up to 99%

Waste Management & Research, 2010

Co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge may be an... more Co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge may be an attractive alternative for sustainable management of two separate waste streams produced in large amounts in all countries. This study evaluates calculation-based results of an anaerobic co-digestion process for primary sludge (PS) together with the OFMSW. The calculations were carried out for the anaerobic digester of Kayseri municipal wastewater treatment plant (in Turkey) presently digesting only PS. Two alternatives were proposed using different solid waste contents in co-digesters. For achieving the optimal solids content, some treated wastewater should be recycled to the inlet of the digesters. The municipal solid waste collection method characterized as mechanically sorted (MS-OFMSW; Option 1) is evaluated as well as a source sorted (SS-OFMSW) alternative (Option 2). Utilizing the energy produced by the existing sludge digester, only 30% of the internal energy demand at the wastewater treatment plant can be covered. The aim of this study is to evaluate how energy production would be increased by co-digestion of OFMSW and PS. The best operational condition considering organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time and energy generation could be attained at 10% digester solids content for both options. According to Option 1, almost 77% of the energy demand could be covered by co-digestion of MS-OFMSW and PS. Results indicated that almost 100% energy coverage can be obtained when co-digestion (Option 2) was performed according to SS-OFMSW and PS.

Separation and Purification Technology, 2013

In recent years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment is i... more In recent years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment is increasingly being researched as a cost-effective alternative to produce nutrient rich, solids free effluents with a high degree of pathogen removal, while occupying a small footprint. To date, especially in the last decade, many studies have been conducted in which various types of anaerobic reactors were used in combination with membranes. This review critically evaluates the potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment with a focus on different types of anaerobic reactors that membranes are coupled to. In addition, the paper discusses the impact of the various factors on both biological and filtration performances of anaerobic membrane bioreactors including strengths and limitations.

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2010

In this study, the anaerobic treatability of high strength opium alkaloids processing industry wa... more In this study, the anaerobic treatability of high strength opium alkaloids processing industry wastewaters was investigated. The wastewater was fed to a lab-scale anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactor (UASBR) operating at mesophilic conditions. The UASB reactor (11.5 L) was operated for 825 days at different hydraulic retention times ranging from 0.85 to 1.62 days and at organic loading rates ranging from 3.40 to 12.25 kg COD/m(3).day. Anaerobic treatability studies indicated that 300 L CH(4) can be produced per kg COD removed. At the 445th day of the study an extreme irreversible inhibition caused by N,N-dimethylaniline was experienced. This paper demonstrated that opium alkaloid industry wastewater can be efficiently treated by UASB type reactors with more than 80% COD removal efficiency at high organic loading rates.

CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water, 2011

Baker's yeast industry has significant effects on environment due to significant water consumptio... more Baker's yeast industry has significant effects on environment due to significant water consumption and high strength wastewater production. Effluents from baker's yeast industry are characterized by high concentrations of biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate, and dark brown color. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed quantitative and qualitative identification and characterization of the wastewater sources from different processes of a baker's yeast industry. It is identified that the most polluted wastewater components of the facility are coming from rotary drum filter and evaporation process. However, the highest pollution loads is identified as tank and equipment cleaning effluent due to very high flow rate from this source. The efforts should be on the way to minimize the water usage for the tank and equipment cleaning process, and to recycle less polluted waste streams back to the process.

CLEAN – Soil, Air, Water, 2007

The objective of this study was to implement a process model to simulate the dynamic behavior of ... more The objective of this study was to implement a process model to simulate the dynamic behavior of a full-scale anaerobic reactor treating corn processing wastewaters under mesophilic conditions. For this purpose, the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) was applied to an expanded granular sludge bed reactor of an industrial wastewater treatment plant. The plant has a wastewater treatment capacity of 1594 m 3 /day. Sensitivity analysis showed that the influent characterization, based on disintegration into carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and inert components, had a large impact on the model outputs. An efficient correlation obtained between the measured and the simulated data, including effluent COD, pH and methane production, highlights good parameter optimization and wastewater characterization. This paper demonstrates a practical example for the application of the ADM1 to an agroindustrial full-scale anaerobic reactor.

Chemical Engineering Journal, 2010

Opium alkaloid processing industries are quite limited throughout the world since cultivation and... more Opium alkaloid processing industries are quite limited throughout the world since cultivation and processing of opium are not practiced in most of the developed countries. However, wastewater generated from this industry is known to be highly polluted with considerable environmental impacts. High rate anaerobic digestion processes are effective in the treatment of opium alkaloid wastewaters that are characterized with relatively low pH and high soluble COD content. Experimental results obtained from the anaerobic treatability studies conducted with lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor (UASB) were simulated by the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1). A model based influent characterization which provided consistent results was performed. The validation results indicated that the calibrated ADM1 was able to predict the experimental results of effluent COD, pH, methane and biogas flows with reasonable accuracy. This study demonstrates a useful approach for the implementation of the ADM1 for the treatment of a specific industrial wastewater.

Bioresource Technology, 2012

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of dynamic membrane (DM) tec... more This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of dynamic membrane (DM) technology as an alternative to membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. DM filtration makes use of a physical barrier (e.g. cloth or mesh) on which a cake layer is formed. It is already used in traditional filtration systems, but applications in biological wastewater treatment are still at its infancy. Dynamic filtration of sludge has lower risk of fouling and requires less energy and lower capital costs compared to MBR. A review of the state-of-art in both DM materials and configurations is presented. Factors affecting DM performance are discussed in order to determine the optimum and critical approaches for membrane operation. Future perspectives to enhance the applicability and functionality of the technology regarding the treatment and membrane performance are presented.

Bioresource Technology, 2012

This review presents a comprehensive summary on applications of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (An... more This review presents a comprehensive summary on applications of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology for industrial wastewaters in view of different aspects including treatability and filterability. AnMBRs present an attractive option for the treatment of industrial wastewaters at extreme conditions, such as high salinity, high temperature, high suspended solids concentrations, and toxicity that hamper granulation and retention of biomass or reduce the biological activity. So far, most of the research has been conducted at laboratory scale; however, also a number of full-scale AnMBR systems is currently being operated worldwide. Membrane fouling, a multivariable process, is still a research quest that requires further investigation. In fact, membrane fouling and flux decline present the most important reasons that hamper the wide-spread application of full-scale reactors. This paper addresses a detailed assessment and discussion on treatability and filterability of industrial wastewaters in both lab- and full-scale AnMBR applications, the encountered problems and future opportunities.

Water research, 2014

Long-term experiments were conducted to assess the impact of changing the solids retention time (... more Long-term experiments were conducted to assess the impact of changing the solids retention time (SRT) on sludge filterability in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs), treating corn-based bioethanol thin stillage. Well established parameters, such as capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), developed for sludge dewatering, were used to evaluate the SRT effect on sludge filterability. Our results clearly demonstrated that SRT is one of the most important factors influencing sludge filterability in AnMBRs. SRT effects the accumulation of fine particles and solutes, which were found to affect attainable flux and fouling, in reactor broth. A better filterability was observed at a SRT of 20 days compared to elevated SRTs, i.e. 50 days. A clear correlation between sludge filtration characteristics and membrane filtration resistance could not be established especially at short SRTs, whereas many parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), CST, solubl...

Procedia Engineering, 2012

Environmental Technology, 2012

The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil pr... more The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil prices. However, efficient and cost-effective solutions for treating thin stillage wastewater have still to be developed. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology combines classical anaerobic treatment in a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with membrane separation. The combination of these two technologies can achieve a superior effluent quality and also increase biogas production compared to conventional anaerobic solutions. A pilot-scale AnMBR treating thin stillage achieved very high treatment efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal (>98%). An average permeate flux of 4.3 L/m2 x h was achieved at relatively low transmembrane pressure (TMP) values (0.1-0.2 bars) with flat-sheet membranes. Experience gained during the pilot-scale studies provides valuable information for scaling up of AnMBRs treating complex and high-strength wastewaters.

Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems

Water Research, 2015

The influence of substrate acidification on sludge filtration characteristics was systematically ... more The influence of substrate acidification on sludge filtration characteristics was systematically investigated by using short term filtration tests. Four reactors were operated with raw and acidified whey permeate in order to evaluate the effect of acidogens on sludge filterability. The results showed that feeding non-acidified substrate promoted the growth of acidogens which in return decreased the median particle size of the sludge and adversely influenced specific resistance to filtration (SRF). In addition to the presence of acidogens, the food to mass (F:M) ratio was found as an important operation parameter on sludge filterability. Various filterability indicators, such as capillary suction time (CST), SRF and supernatant filterability, tended to became worse at increased F:M ratios. The decreased filterability at high F:M ratio was attributed to the accumulation of soluble microbial products (SMP) in the reactors. Interestingly, impact of acidogens on short term critical flux tests was not significant, but this may be a consequence of the experimental set-up.

Survival and Sustainability, 2010

... for a Municipal Treatment Plant in Turkey RK Dereli, ME Ersahin, CY Gomec, O. Ozdemir, and Iz... more ... for a Municipal Treatment Plant in Turkey RK Dereli, ME Ersahin, CY Gomec, O. Ozdemir, and Izzet Ozturk ... Utilizing the energy produced by the digester, only 30% of the total energy demand and all of the heat energy demand including administration building can be covered. ...

Separation and Purification Technology, 2015

In this study, the filtration performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactors when treating a high ... more In this study, the filtration performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactors when treating a high strength lipid rich wastewater, corn-to-ethanol thin stillage, is evaluated at different solids retention times (SRTs). Long chain fatty acid (LCFA) inhibition, observed at high SRTs, concomitantly occurred with floc deterioration and soluble microbial product release. On the other hand, accumulation of LCFA on the sludge modified its surface hydrophobicity. Remarkably, a lesser degree of fouling was observed at increased sludge hydrophobicity. Cake layer formation was found as the most important contributor to membrane filtration resistance, whereas chemical cleaning tests indicated a low degree of irreversible organic fouling. Moreover, inorganic fouling in the form of phosphorus precipitates was identified both in the cake layer and on the membrane.

Waste Water - Treatment and Reutilization, 2011

Water Science & Technology, 2012

Source-based wastewater characterization and stream segregation provide effective management of i... more Source-based wastewater characterization and stream segregation provide effective management of industrial wastewaters. The characterization of wastewater sources from a confectionery factory was presented and performance of the wastewater treatment plant was evaluated in this study. All of the wastewater sources in the factory, except the vacuum water line, can be characterized by high concentrations of soluble pollutants and low pH. High organic content of the wastewater generated from the confectionery industry promoted the application of anaerobic technology as a pre-treatment before the conventional aerobic treatment. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and biogas production for expanded granular sludge bed reactor were 88% and 1,730 Nm(3)/day, respectively. The effluent from the investigated facility can be used for irrigation provided that conductivity values are within acceptable limits.

Water Science & Technology, 2012

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the energy recovery potential of mesophi... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the energy recovery potential of mesophilic (30-35 °C) anaerobic digestion of animal wastes (manure) at a centralized biogas plant (CBP) for 35,000 cattle. The proposed CBP is composed of an equalization tank followed by pasteurization and 3+[1/2] modules; i.e. each module consists of four completely mixed anaerobic reactors with a capacity of treating the manure from 10,000 cattle. The effect of maize silage loading, as the co-substrate, both on biomethane production and feasibility of the system was also evaluated. Besides, the transport fuel substitutes of the produced biomethane with or without co-substrate were also investigated. Results of the proposed CBP indicated that biomethane production increased ca. 1.65 fold with co-substrate addition and pay-back periods for one module treating 10,000 cattle manure are calculated to be ca. 11 and 7.0 yr without and with silage addition, respectively. Besides, considering the potential revenue when replacing transport fuels, about 74 heavy goods vehicles or 1,560 cars may be powered per year by the biogas produced from the proposed CBP where the co-digestion of manure and maize silage is applied.

Water Research, 2014

Calcium Corn-to-ethanol thin stillage Lipid Long chain fatty acids Magnesium Methanogenic activit... more Calcium Corn-to-ethanol thin stillage Lipid Long chain fatty acids Magnesium Methanogenic activity Precipitation a b s t r a c t The potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for the treatment of lipid rich cornto-ethanol thin stillage was investigated at three different sludge retention times (SRT), i.e. 20, 30 and 50 days. The membrane assisted biomass retention in AnMBRs provided an excellent solution to sludge washout problems reported for the treatment of lipid rich wastewaters by granular sludge bed reactors. The AnMBRs achieved high COD removal efficiencies up to 99%

Waste Management & Research, 2010

Co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge may be an... more Co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge may be an attractive alternative for sustainable management of two separate waste streams produced in large amounts in all countries. This study evaluates calculation-based results of an anaerobic co-digestion process for primary sludge (PS) together with the OFMSW. The calculations were carried out for the anaerobic digester of Kayseri municipal wastewater treatment plant (in Turkey) presently digesting only PS. Two alternatives were proposed using different solid waste contents in co-digesters. For achieving the optimal solids content, some treated wastewater should be recycled to the inlet of the digesters. The municipal solid waste collection method characterized as mechanically sorted (MS-OFMSW; Option 1) is evaluated as well as a source sorted (SS-OFMSW) alternative (Option 2). Utilizing the energy produced by the existing sludge digester, only 30% of the internal energy demand at the wastewater treatment plant can be covered. The aim of this study is to evaluate how energy production would be increased by co-digestion of OFMSW and PS. The best operational condition considering organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time and energy generation could be attained at 10% digester solids content for both options. According to Option 1, almost 77% of the energy demand could be covered by co-digestion of MS-OFMSW and PS. Results indicated that almost 100% energy coverage can be obtained when co-digestion (Option 2) was performed according to SS-OFMSW and PS.

Separation and Purification Technology, 2013

In recent years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment is i... more In recent years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment is increasingly being researched as a cost-effective alternative to produce nutrient rich, solids free effluents with a high degree of pathogen removal, while occupying a small footprint. To date, especially in the last decade, many studies have been conducted in which various types of anaerobic reactors were used in combination with membranes. This review critically evaluates the potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal wastewater treatment with a focus on different types of anaerobic reactors that membranes are coupled to. In addition, the paper discusses the impact of the various factors on both biological and filtration performances of anaerobic membrane bioreactors including strengths and limitations.

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2010

In this study, the anaerobic treatability of high strength opium alkaloids processing industry wa... more In this study, the anaerobic treatability of high strength opium alkaloids processing industry wastewaters was investigated. The wastewater was fed to a lab-scale anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactor (UASBR) operating at mesophilic conditions. The UASB reactor (11.5 L) was operated for 825 days at different hydraulic retention times ranging from 0.85 to 1.62 days and at organic loading rates ranging from 3.40 to 12.25 kg COD/m(3).day. Anaerobic treatability studies indicated that 300 L CH(4) can be produced per kg COD removed. At the 445th day of the study an extreme irreversible inhibition caused by N,N-dimethylaniline was experienced. This paper demonstrated that opium alkaloid industry wastewater can be efficiently treated by UASB type reactors with more than 80% COD removal efficiency at high organic loading rates.

CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water, 2011

Baker's yeast industry has significant effects on environment due to significant water consumptio... more Baker's yeast industry has significant effects on environment due to significant water consumption and high strength wastewater production. Effluents from baker's yeast industry are characterized by high concentrations of biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate, and dark brown color. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed quantitative and qualitative identification and characterization of the wastewater sources from different processes of a baker's yeast industry. It is identified that the most polluted wastewater components of the facility are coming from rotary drum filter and evaporation process. However, the highest pollution loads is identified as tank and equipment cleaning effluent due to very high flow rate from this source. The efforts should be on the way to minimize the water usage for the tank and equipment cleaning process, and to recycle less polluted waste streams back to the process.

CLEAN – Soil, Air, Water, 2007

The objective of this study was to implement a process model to simulate the dynamic behavior of ... more The objective of this study was to implement a process model to simulate the dynamic behavior of a full-scale anaerobic reactor treating corn processing wastewaters under mesophilic conditions. For this purpose, the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) was applied to an expanded granular sludge bed reactor of an industrial wastewater treatment plant. The plant has a wastewater treatment capacity of 1594 m 3 /day. Sensitivity analysis showed that the influent characterization, based on disintegration into carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and inert components, had a large impact on the model outputs. An efficient correlation obtained between the measured and the simulated data, including effluent COD, pH and methane production, highlights good parameter optimization and wastewater characterization. This paper demonstrates a practical example for the application of the ADM1 to an agroindustrial full-scale anaerobic reactor.

Chemical Engineering Journal, 2010

Opium alkaloid processing industries are quite limited throughout the world since cultivation and... more Opium alkaloid processing industries are quite limited throughout the world since cultivation and processing of opium are not practiced in most of the developed countries. However, wastewater generated from this industry is known to be highly polluted with considerable environmental impacts. High rate anaerobic digestion processes are effective in the treatment of opium alkaloid wastewaters that are characterized with relatively low pH and high soluble COD content. Experimental results obtained from the anaerobic treatability studies conducted with lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor (UASB) were simulated by the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1). A model based influent characterization which provided consistent results was performed. The validation results indicated that the calibrated ADM1 was able to predict the experimental results of effluent COD, pH, methane and biogas flows with reasonable accuracy. This study demonstrates a useful approach for the implementation of the ADM1 for the treatment of a specific industrial wastewater.

Bioresource Technology, 2012

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of dynamic membrane (DM) tec... more This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current status of dynamic membrane (DM) technology as an alternative to membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. DM filtration makes use of a physical barrier (e.g. cloth or mesh) on which a cake layer is formed. It is already used in traditional filtration systems, but applications in biological wastewater treatment are still at its infancy. Dynamic filtration of sludge has lower risk of fouling and requires less energy and lower capital costs compared to MBR. A review of the state-of-art in both DM materials and configurations is presented. Factors affecting DM performance are discussed in order to determine the optimum and critical approaches for membrane operation. Future perspectives to enhance the applicability and functionality of the technology regarding the treatment and membrane performance are presented.

Bioresource Technology, 2012

This review presents a comprehensive summary on applications of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (An... more This review presents a comprehensive summary on applications of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology for industrial wastewaters in view of different aspects including treatability and filterability. AnMBRs present an attractive option for the treatment of industrial wastewaters at extreme conditions, such as high salinity, high temperature, high suspended solids concentrations, and toxicity that hamper granulation and retention of biomass or reduce the biological activity. So far, most of the research has been conducted at laboratory scale; however, also a number of full-scale AnMBR systems is currently being operated worldwide. Membrane fouling, a multivariable process, is still a research quest that requires further investigation. In fact, membrane fouling and flux decline present the most important reasons that hamper the wide-spread application of full-scale reactors. This paper addresses a detailed assessment and discussion on treatability and filterability of industrial wastewaters in both lab- and full-scale AnMBR applications, the encountered problems and future opportunities.

Water research, 2014

Long-term experiments were conducted to assess the impact of changing the solids retention time (... more Long-term experiments were conducted to assess the impact of changing the solids retention time (SRT) on sludge filterability in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs), treating corn-based bioethanol thin stillage. Well established parameters, such as capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), developed for sludge dewatering, were used to evaluate the SRT effect on sludge filterability. Our results clearly demonstrated that SRT is one of the most important factors influencing sludge filterability in AnMBRs. SRT effects the accumulation of fine particles and solutes, which were found to affect attainable flux and fouling, in reactor broth. A better filterability was observed at a SRT of 20 days compared to elevated SRTs, i.e. 50 days. A clear correlation between sludge filtration characteristics and membrane filtration resistance could not be established especially at short SRTs, whereas many parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), CST, solubl...