A vibrating membrane bioreactor operated at supra- and sub-critical flux: Influence of extracellular polymeric substances from yeast cells

A vibrating membrane bioreactor, in which the fouling problems are reduced by vibrating a hollow fiber membrane module, has been tested in constant flux microfiltration above (supra-critical) and below (sub-critical) an experimentally determined critical flux. Suspensions of bakers yeast cells were chosen as filtration medium (dry weight 4 g/l). The influence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from the yeast cells is evaluated by UV absorbance measurements of the bulk supernatant during filtration. The critical flux seems to be an interval or a relative value rather than an absolute value. Filtration just below the critical flux (sub-critical) seems to be a good compromise between acceptable flux level and acceptable increase of fouling resistance and trans-membrane pressure (TMP) in a given time period. EPS from the yeast cells causes the membrane module to foul and part of the fouling is irreversible. A fraction of the EPS content is loosely bounded in the yeast cells and is easily and fast washed out when suspended in water. Another fraction of the EPS content is more tightly bound in the yeast cells and is therefore not washed out as easily. A part of this tightly bounded EPS content is continually washed out during supra-critical flux operation whereas the washing out at sub-critical flux operation is not observed. This might be due to locally different hydrodynamic conditions at the membrane surface and pore entrances at supra- and sub-critical flux respectively.