Impact of temperature and biomass augmentation on biosulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification in membrane bioreactors treating real nitrate-contaminated groundwater.

Nitrate (NO3-) contamination of groundwater is a major health concern worldwide as it can lead to serious illnesses such as methemoglobinemia and cancer. Autotrophic denitrification is a smart approach for treating groundwater, being typically organic-deficient. Lately, biogenic sulfur (S0bio) has emerged as a sustainable, free, and high-efficiency substrate to fuel membrane bioreactors (MBRs) treating contaminated groundwater. However, the effects of moderate temperature and biomass concentration on the performance and fouling of the S0bio-fed MBR were not investigated previously. This study shows that biomass levels of ~1 g MLVSS/L limit membrane fouling but also denitrification efficiency. Biomass augmentation up to 3 g MLVSS/L enhanced denitrification but worsened fouling due to increase of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) levels in the bulk liquid. Temperature decrease from 30 °C to 20 °C halved denitrification efficiency, which could be partially recovered through bioaugmentation. The mechanisms affected by temperature decrease, practical applications, and future research needs were discussed.