Membrane Bioreactor for the Treatment of Wastewater in an Egyptian Plant

Hussein I. Abdel-Shafy1, Werner Hegemann2, Khairia A. Guindi3, Mohamed I. Badawy1, Neveen S. Tawfik3, and Katarina Teschner2

1 Department of Water Research and Pollution Control, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
2 Department of Sanitary Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
3 Desert Research Centre, Matariya, Cairo, Egypt

Corresponding author: Prof. Hussein I. Abdel-Shafy
    Department of Water Research and Pollution Control
    National Research Center
    El-Behous Street, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
    Telephones: +2012-4018017 and +202-7625349
    Fax number: +202-4029538
    E-mail: husseinshafy@yahoo.com

CEJOEM 2005, Vol.11. No.3.: 217–223

Key words:
Membrane bioreactor, wastewater effluent, treatment, heavy metals

Abstract:
The membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are strongly developing new concepts for wastewater treatment warranting the fulfilment of high hygienic standards for the effluent. The application of MBRs is of particular economical and ecological interest in remote areas. Over the last five years, different types of MBRs including plants of sizes ranging from laboratory scale (~100 L) to pilot scale (5 m3) have been equipped with submerged modules and external cross-flow modules. Various industrial, domestic, and municipal wastewaters were treated. It has been proved that the MBR technology is a very promising water treatment technology for the future that could be used as an efficient tool for the reduction of the wastewater of small and peripheral urban areas. MBRs should be tested as an integrated component in an overall sanitation concept. MBR can be used to treat both greywater and blackwater. Results from the existing plants show the general applicability and high efficiency of MBR wastewater treatment. The high effluent quality opens a variety of various options for water reuse, e.g., irrigation or toilet flushing. Reuse criteria have to be elaborated. The operation of MBRs was conducted at the Zenien sewage treatment plant under the conditions of the Egyptian climate. The results obtained showed significant improvement in the quality of total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrogen compounds, phosphates, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and heavy metals. Furthermore, this way of processing resulted in a complete retention of bacteria, including the pathogens. Therefore, no restriction takes place in the reuse of sewage effluent treated in this way for crop irrigation.

Received: 17 May 2005
Accepted: 29 November 2005
| Back |