Managing Operational Issues for an Industrial Membrane Bioreactor

An ndustrial membrane bioreactor (MBR) experienced an upset when the performance of the biological system began producing permeate total organic carbon (TOC) values higher than normal. There were multiple events that likely caused the upset: high nitrite levels, high temperatures close to the threshold of what the microbes could survive at, an overdose of antifoam, and an accidental chlorine leak into the system. These events occurred within a close time period and possibly led to the biological upset in the bioreactor. Additionally, the consequential description of start-up of the MBR provided information for proper operation of the system and describes issues that may be encountered during an industrial MBR system start-up.