Membrane biofouling mechanism in an aerobic granular reactor degrading 4-chlorophenol.

The membrane fouling of an aerobic granular reactor coupled with a submerged membrane in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was evaluated. The fouling analysis was performed by applying microscopy techniques to determine the morphology and structure of the fouling layer on a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. It was found that the main cause of fouling was the polysaccharide adsorption on the membrane surface, followed by the growth of microorganisms to form a biofilm.