How high salt shock affects performance and membrane fouling characteristics of a halophilic membrane bioreactor used for treating hypersaline wastewater.

In the present study, the effect of short-term salt shocks (13% and 20%) on the performance of a halophilic MBR bioreactor used to treat a hypersaline (5% salt) synthetic wastewater was considered. 13% and 20% salt shocks resulted in a transient and permanent decrease in chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency, respectively which could be correlated with soluble microbial products (SMP) concentration and specific oxygen uptake rate values of the halophilic population. DNA leakage tests suggested that both 13% and 20% short-term salt shocks resulted in some cell structural damage.