Role of Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors in Wastewater Treatment and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction

This review critically evaluates the role of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for wastewater treatment while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. AnMBRs are particularly suited for treating high-strength wastewater with elevated organic content, achieving COD removal efficiency of 87~99%. Despite their effectiveness, full-scale AnMBR applications remain limited to high-strength wastewater from a few industries due to system complexity, large space requirements, and lack of industrial operational experience. The study suggests that AnMBRs have the potential to play a greater role in treating industrial wastewater in efforts to reduce GHG emissions.