Membrane Bioreactor Coupled with Sequential Batch Reactor: A Supportive Technology in Effluent Recycling Of API Manufacturing Industries

Srinivasarao Gangavarapu, Uma Maheswara Rao Ganguru, Sunil Kulkarni, Narasimha MurthyBrahmandam, Srinivasa Anumula

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) combined with Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) was operated for treatment of wastewater generated in a medium scaleActive Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturing unit. Parameters considered to investigate the performance of pilot plant wereChemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). However, to support the investigation, effluent Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) was also characterized. The studies indicated92.3 percent reduction in COD, 96.0 percent in BOD and 100 percent in TSS, and no significant effect on TDS reduction was found.The effluents streams taken up for study were characterized, neutralized, equalized and fed in SBR, which is a fill and draw activated sludge process driven by micro biological mass. The SBR out lets werereduced73.0, 79.9 and 76.3 percent by load in terms of COD, BOD and TSS respectively. The SBR outlets were fed in MBR, which is a membrane based reactor, where a further reduction of COD, BOD and TSS by72.0, 79.7 and 100 percent respectively was achieved. After successful pilot studies, it was found that the MBR combined with SBR can be operated positively for wastewater treatment in API manufacturing units, where effluent can be recycled after Reverse Osmosis (RO) polishing.