Data for Granular sludge-assisted self-forming membrane filtration improves anaerobic effluent polishing
Description
The dataset corresponds to the study “Granular sludge-assisted self-forming membrane filtration improves anaerobic effluent polishing”, which evaluated the effect of immersing a self-forming dynamic membrane (SFDM) in a granular anaerobic sludge bed with a defined particle size distribution. The study was based on the hypothesis that the sludge bed acts as an additional filtration medium, retaining suspended solids entering the filtration chamber and reducing solids deposition on the textile support. As a result, a slower increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) and longer operating times were expected. Two filtration configurations were evaluated: a SFDM immersed in granular anaerobic sludge and a control configuration without sludge. The results demonstrated improved permeate quality and up to 14-fold longer operating times in the sludge-assisted configuration compared with the control. Changes in sludge characteristics were also observed, including progressive degranulation associated with a redistribution of extracellular polymeric substances toward the loosely bound fraction. In addition, the presence of sludge promoted the formation of a thicker and more porous SFDM, whereas the SFDM formed without sludge exhibited a greater tendency toward clogging. The dataset includes four groups of files: The workbook “BET Analysis” contains nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and the corresponding specific surface area and total pore volume calculations for SFDMs formed with and without sludge. The workbook “Sludge” contains the initial and final characterization of the granular sludge used during the experiment. Both workbooks contain processed results to facilitate data interpretation and analysis. The folder “Turbidity” contains raw data generated by the online turbidimeters used to monitor permeate quality throughout filtration. Turbidity values are reported in nephelometric turbidity units and were recorded every minute during daytime operation and every five minutes during overnight operation. Data interpretation only requires associating the operating time with the corresponding turbidity value to evaluate permeate quality throughout the filtration run. The TSV files contained in the “Transmembrane pressure” folder correspond to raw pressure data collected every minute during experiments. The first two columns correspond to the date and time of each measurement. Column three contains pressure data from the experiment with sludge, whereas column five contains data from the control experiments without sludge. Reported values are expressed as centimeters of water column. To calculate the TMP, the dead height of the system (12 cm), due to the piping connections, must be subtracted from the measured value. Subsequently, the resulting value should be referenced to the maximum water column height (88 cm). Pressure values can be converted to kPa using the conversion factor 1 cm H2O = 0.0981 kPa.