Hospital Wastewater Treatment by Membrane Bioreactor : Performance and Impact on the Biomasses

-A pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) was installed and operated for 75 days at laboratory. It was fed an influent directly from the hospital drainage collection system. To study pharmaceutics compounds toxicity with micropollutant concentrations ranging from low ng /L to mg/L, toward activated sludge. Lab scale experiments were conducted and microscopic techniques as confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Samples were observed using confocal scanning laser microscopy to characterize the extracellular polymeric substances of sludge (EPS content). The study was focused on efficacy the membrane bioreactor in treatment the hospital effluent and the extra cellular polymeric substances (EPS) as indicator of bacteria sensitivity to toxic agents. Results suggested that after 20 days of exposure the pharmaceuticals compounds induced a significant increase of concentration soluble EPS in flocs, the pharmaceuticals compounds not inhibited COD removal and the nitrification during the experiments. These findings are in agreement with the microscopic studies, which showed a significant increase of concentration EPS. The presence of the pharmaceuticals compounds and its main metabolites stimulates mechanisms of protection and production of EPS with a slightly higher production of proteins. The removal of PPCPs by biological treatment processes including membrane bioreactor (MBR) was studied during the experience. The performance of MBR was demonstrated to be stable after 20 days of the experience. Although presence the fouling, the membrane look as technique very important for elimination the organics micrpolluents from the hospital wastewater. Keywords---Confocal laser scanning microscopy, membrane bioreactor (MBR), the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the organic micropolluants.