Abstract:
The ultimate aim of this study was to assess the feasibility
of the membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater reuse in Saudi
Arabia. Treatment performance and economy as well as environmental aspects
were taken into account. Investigations conducted at a pilot scale MBR
plant revealed excellent organics, nutrients and pathogen removal performances
irrespective of the applied Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentrations
and Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT) without encountering severe membrane
fouling. This study also provides an in-depth comparison of the MBR process
with application of membrane technology following conventional activated
sludge process. During this comparison economical aspects were discussed
based on literature reports, while environmental aspects were elucidated
by means of a simple Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA revealed
that MBR poses lesser negative impacts on environment as compared to the
alternative option (magnitude of negative impact being 46 and 101, respectively).The
analyses presented in this paper as a whole manifest the superiority of
Membrane Bioreactor technology over the available alternatives in the
context of Saudi Arabia.
Turki M. Alaboud and Saleh Faraj Magram, 2008. A Discourse on Feasibility of the Membrane Bioreactor Technology for Wastewater Reuse in Saudi Arabia. Research Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2: 445-455.
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