Effect of specific cathode surface area on biofouling in an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor: Novel insights using high-speed video camera

Veerraghavulu Sapireddy; Alaa I. Ragab; Krishna Katuri; Yuanlie Yu; Zhiping Lai; Erqiang Li; Sigurdur T Thoroddsen; Pascal Saikaly

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007

Effect of specific cathode surface area on biofouling in an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor: Novel insights using high-speed video camera

Veerraghavulu Sapireddy, Alaa I. Ragab, Krishna Katuri, Yuanlie Yu, Zhiping Lai, Erqiang Li, Sigurdur T Thoroddsen, Pascal Saikaly

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of specific cathode surface area (SCSA; 2, 4 and 8 m2/m3) on biogas production and biofouling control was investigated in anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactors (AnEMBRs). Nickel-based hollow fibers were used as both a cathode for hydrogen evolution and a membrane for the filtration of treated water. Varying the SCSA was found to influence the current density, biogas quantity and composition, and trans-membrane pressure (TMP). In situ gas generation was monitored using a high-speed camera; where the 8 m2/m3 AnEMBRs were found to mainly evolve smaller sized bubbles (45–114 µm) compared to the 2 and 4 m2/m3 AnEMBRs. This correlated with the lowest TMP (0.37 bars) compared to the other reactors (4 m2/m3, 0.76 bars; 2 m2/m3, 1.18 bars). The cathodic microbial community varied with SCSA, with Acetobacterium dominating at a relative abundance that reached 62% (4 m2/m3), while hydrogenotrophic methanogens (represented by Methanocorpusculum) comprised up to 2.5% of the total community. This community variability apparently influenced both the hydrogen (QH2) and methane (QCH4) production rates, reaching a maximum QH2 of 0.416 m3/m3/day (SCSA 8 m2/m3). Overall, this study discloses the cumulative effect of QH2, QCH4, bubble distribution and frequency on biofouling with SCSA variation in AnEMBRs, demonstrating that with higher SCSA the in situ gas scouring effect is more pronounced leading to a lower fouling propensity.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	176-183
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Membrane Science
Volume	577
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007
State	Published - Feb 5 2019

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): FCC/1/1971-33-01
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Center Competitive Funding Program (FCC/1/1971-33-01) to P.E.S. from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The authors would like to thank Dr. Srikanth Pedireddy at the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) for generating the schematic figure (Fig. S3) of the AnEMBR.

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10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/631168/2/Sapireddy%20et%20al_Manuscript_Feb%201-2019-KAUST%20Repository.pdf

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@article{9cc31839431f480da47ad0f61ff19d62,

title = "Effect of specific cathode surface area on biofouling in an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor: Novel insights using high-speed video camera",

abstract = "The effect of specific cathode surface area (SCSA; 2, 4 and 8 m2/m3) on biogas production and biofouling control was investigated in anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactors (AnEMBRs). Nickel-based hollow fibers were used as both a cathode for hydrogen evolution and a membrane for the filtration of treated water. Varying the SCSA was found to influence the current density, biogas quantity and composition, and trans-membrane pressure (TMP). In situ gas generation was monitored using a high-speed camera; where the 8 m2/m3 AnEMBRs were found to mainly evolve smaller sized bubbles (45–114 µm) compared to the 2 and 4 m2/m3 AnEMBRs. This correlated with the lowest TMP (0.37 bars) compared to the other reactors (4 m2/m3, 0.76 bars; 2 m2/m3, 1.18 bars). The cathodic microbial community varied with SCSA, with Acetobacterium dominating at a relative abundance that reached 62% (4 m2/m3), while hydrogenotrophic methanogens (represented by Methanocorpusculum) comprised up to 2.5% of the total community. This community variability apparently influenced both the hydrogen (QH2) and methane (QCH4) production rates, reaching a maximum QH2 of 0.416 m3/m3/day (SCSA 8 m2/m3). Overall, this study discloses the cumulative effect of QH2, QCH4, bubble distribution and frequency on biofouling with SCSA variation in AnEMBRs, demonstrating that with higher SCSA the in situ gas scouring effect is more pronounced leading to a lower fouling propensity.",

author = "Veerraghavulu Sapireddy and Ragab, {Alaa I.} and Krishna Katuri and Yuanlie Yu and Zhiping Lai and Erqiang Li and Thoroddsen, {Sigurdur T} and Pascal Saikaly",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): FCC/1/1971-33-01 Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Center Competitive Funding Program (FCC/1/1971-33-01) to P.E.S. from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The authors would like to thank Dr. Srikanth Pedireddy at the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) for generating the schematic figure (Fig. S3) of the AnEMBR.",

year = "2019",

month = feb,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "577",

pages = "176--183",

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issn = "0376-7388",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of specific cathode surface area on biofouling in an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor: Novel insights using high-speed video camera

AU - Sapireddy, Veerraghavulu

AU - Ragab, Alaa I.

AU - Katuri, Krishna

AU - Yu, Yuanlie

AU - Lai, Zhiping

AU - Li, Erqiang

AU - Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

AU - Saikaly, Pascal

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): FCC/1/1971-33-01 Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Center Competitive Funding Program (FCC/1/1971-33-01) to P.E.S. from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The authors would like to thank Dr. Srikanth Pedireddy at the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) for generating the schematic figure (Fig. S3) of the AnEMBR.

PY - 2019/2/5

Y1 - 2019/2/5

N2 - The effect of specific cathode surface area (SCSA; 2, 4 and 8 m2/m3) on biogas production and biofouling control was investigated in anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactors (AnEMBRs). Nickel-based hollow fibers were used as both a cathode for hydrogen evolution and a membrane for the filtration of treated water. Varying the SCSA was found to influence the current density, biogas quantity and composition, and trans-membrane pressure (TMP). In situ gas generation was monitored using a high-speed camera; where the 8 m2/m3 AnEMBRs were found to mainly evolve smaller sized bubbles (45–114 µm) compared to the 2 and 4 m2/m3 AnEMBRs. This correlated with the lowest TMP (0.37 bars) compared to the other reactors (4 m2/m3, 0.76 bars; 2 m2/m3, 1.18 bars). The cathodic microbial community varied with SCSA, with Acetobacterium dominating at a relative abundance that reached 62% (4 m2/m3), while hydrogenotrophic methanogens (represented by Methanocorpusculum) comprised up to 2.5% of the total community. This community variability apparently influenced both the hydrogen (QH2) and methane (QCH4) production rates, reaching a maximum QH2 of 0.416 m3/m3/day (SCSA 8 m2/m3). Overall, this study discloses the cumulative effect of QH2, QCH4, bubble distribution and frequency on biofouling with SCSA variation in AnEMBRs, demonstrating that with higher SCSA the in situ gas scouring effect is more pronounced leading to a lower fouling propensity.

AB - The effect of specific cathode surface area (SCSA; 2, 4 and 8 m2/m3) on biogas production and biofouling control was investigated in anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactors (AnEMBRs). Nickel-based hollow fibers were used as both a cathode for hydrogen evolution and a membrane for the filtration of treated water. Varying the SCSA was found to influence the current density, biogas quantity and composition, and trans-membrane pressure (TMP). In situ gas generation was monitored using a high-speed camera; where the 8 m2/m3 AnEMBRs were found to mainly evolve smaller sized bubbles (45–114 µm) compared to the 2 and 4 m2/m3 AnEMBRs. This correlated with the lowest TMP (0.37 bars) compared to the other reactors (4 m2/m3, 0.76 bars; 2 m2/m3, 1.18 bars). The cathodic microbial community varied with SCSA, with Acetobacterium dominating at a relative abundance that reached 62% (4 m2/m3), while hydrogenotrophic methanogens (represented by Methanocorpusculum) comprised up to 2.5% of the total community. This community variability apparently influenced both the hydrogen (QH2) and methane (QCH4) production rates, reaching a maximum QH2 of 0.416 m3/m3/day (SCSA 8 m2/m3). Overall, this study discloses the cumulative effect of QH2, QCH4, bubble distribution and frequency on biofouling with SCSA variation in AnEMBRs, demonstrating that with higher SCSA the in situ gas scouring effect is more pronounced leading to a lower fouling propensity.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/631168

UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376738818323779

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061303345&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007

DO - 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.007

M3 - Article

SN - 0376-7388

VL - 577

SP - 176

EP - 183

JO - Journal of Membrane Science

JF - Journal of Membrane Science

ER -

Effect of specific cathode surface area on biofouling in an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor: Novel insights using high-speed video camera

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