The present invention provides methods and compositions for improving permeability and flux in a membrane filtration system, especially in water or wastewater treatment processes.

Disclosed is a wastewater treatment process including at least one step of biological oxidation in a biological treatment unit, wherein ozone and an adsorbent compound are introduced, the ozonation and the adsorption each at least being induced upstream of the biological treatment unit, or else in the biological treatment unit, or else downstream of the biological treatment unit, knowing that downstream of the biological treatment unit at most either the introduction of ozone, or the introduction of the adsorbent compound is carried out. Also disclosed is a plant for implementing the process.

A methane fermentation system which can efficiently generate methane gas is provided. The methane fermentation system decomposes an organic waste with an anaerobic microorganism to cause methane fermentation so as to generate the methane gas. The methane fermentation system includes a wet bead mill which finely pulverizes the organic waste. The methane fermentation system also includes a methane fermentation chamber in which the organic waste finely pulverized in the wet bead mill is decomposed with the anaerobic microorganism to cause the methane fermentation so as to generate the methane gas.

A water purification system comprises a bioreaction subsystem receiving contaminated input effluent and having a gas-lift anaerobic membrane bioreactor removing urea and organic matter to create a first effluent. A light-treatment subsystem receives the first effluent and exposes the first effluent to UV light to create a second effluent free from microorganisms. A reactor subsystem fluidically connects an ammonia-reducing reactor to the UV output and receives UV-treated second effluent and has a struvite regenerator connected to the ammonia-reducing reactor output, separating ammonia from the second effluent in the ammonia-reducing reactor, and outputting the ammonia. A separation subsystem fluidically connects to the reactor output and receives the second effluent substantially free from ammonia and has a continuous electro-deionization device separating brine/salts from the second effluent to produce potable water. A closed-loop includes an ammonia-converting subsystem and a sequential fertilizer producer.

A method of operating a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) having at least one of an aerobic digester (AD) and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) is described. The method of operating AD is comprised of monitoring and controlling AD in real-time using an online extended Kalman filter (EKF) having a online dynamic model of AD. The EKF uses real-time AD measured data, and online dynamic model of AD to update adapted model parameters and estimate model based inferred variables for AD, which are used for AD control by AD control system having supervisory and low-level control layers. The method of operating MBR is similar to that of AD. The supervisory control ensures the WWTP satisfying the effluent quality requirement while minimize the operation cost. A WWTP having at least one of an AD or MBR is disclosed. The method of operating a WWTP can be implemented using a computer.

A process and apparatus for the anaerobic digestion of organic wastes, preferably to also produce a useful biogas, is described. The waste may have a total solids (TS) concentration of 6% or less while a digester is operated at a higher solids concentration, for example with a feed TS concentration of 8-12%. One or more separation stages downstream of the digester separate active bacteria and undigested organics from the digestate, and return separated matter to the digester. Optionally, a feed thickening apparatus and step may be provided upstream of the digester. The upstream thickener and recycle from the downstream separation stages are operated such that the TS of the combined inputs to the digester is within a desired range.

Systems and methods for treating wastewater including a dissolved air flotation operation performed upon a portion of a mixed liquor output from a contact tank prior to the mixed liquor entering a biological treatment tank.

The present disclosure generally relates to a system for monitoring and/or controlling one or more agents, such as cleaning agents, in a wastewater treatment system. The system comprises a bio-electrochemical sensor for monitoring metabolic activity of a population of exo-electrogenic bacteria and providing an electrical output corresponding with the metabolic activity, where the bio-electrochemical sensor comprises an electrode pair and a power source for delivering a voltage across the electrode pair, and an electrical output analyzer for analyzing the electrical output and correlating the electrical output with the one or more agents in the wastewater treatment system. a change in electrical output beyond a threshold indicates that an adjustment in the delivery of the one or more agents is needed. a method and sensor for monitoring and/or controlling a cleaning process in a wastewater treatment system are also provided. The system, method, and sensor disclosed herein are particularly useful for cleaning membranes incorporated in a wastewater treatment process.

Disclosed is a water treatment system capable of inhibiting the occurrence of membrane fouling during water treatment at a relatively low cost without reducing water permeability of a filtration membrane. The water treatment system includes a biological treatment unit for biological treatment of wastewater and a membrane unit for filtration of the wastewater treated by the biological treatment unit, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of the biological treatment unit and the membrane unit includes a plurality of quorum quenching media confined in a predetermined space therein.

An anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor (AnEMBR) can include a vessel into which wastewater can be introduced, an anode electrode in the vessel suitable for supporting electrochemically active microorganisms (EAB, also can be referred to as anode reducing bacteria, exoelectrogens, or electricigens) that oxidize organic compounds in the wastewater, and a cathode membrane electrode in the vessel, which is configured to pass a treated liquid through the membrane while retaining the electrochemically active microorganisms and the hydrogenotrophic methanogens (for example, the key functional microbial communities, including EAB, methanogens and possible synergistic fermenters) in the vessel. The cathode membrane electrode can be suitable for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction to generate hydrogen.