INVESTIGATION OF BIOFILM STRUCTURE IN A MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR (MBR)

Abstract

This study investigates in detail the structural and chemical properties of the biofilm formed in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system used in the treatment of real textile wastewater. The performance of the MBR system was analyzed based on color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal. The results showed that COD removal was approximately 50%, while DOC and color removal remained quite limited. The biofilm formed on the membrane surface was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. Analysis results revealed that the biofilm structure consists mainly of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of protein and polysaccharide origin, along with textile dyes and inorganic components. Heavy metal analyses showed that elements such as Ca, Mg, and Si play a binding role in biofilm formation. These findings indicate that integration of MBR systems with advanced treatment processes is necessary to increase their effectiveness in the treatment of textile wastewater.