Green chemistry treatment of seafood processing wastewater using pilot scale Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) in a realtime mode

• AnMBR has been first time piloted in a seafood factory with a capacity 500 l/day. • Sludge Volume Index 20 and Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids 11.5 g/L. • Removal efficiency of COD 61.04%, and TN 37.32% after two months of operation. • The average transmembrane pressure (TMP) was 0.66 bar and the flux was 18.2 L/m 2 .h. • Some criteria meet the national discharge standard seafood processing wastewater. The seafood processing industry's growing revenue heightens the urgency of treating wastewater rich in harmful pollutants. Addressing this challenge, Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) technology emerges as a green and sustainable solution by integrating activated sludge microorganisms and nano-pore membranes without using chemicals. This study hypothesizes that a pilot-scale AnMBR system can effectively treat seafood processing wastewater while achieving compliance with stringent discharge standards. A 0.5 m³/day pilot AnMBR was constructed and operated for two months in a seafood factory to evaluate pollutant removal and operational stability. The system achieved high pollutant removal efficiencies: 99.63 ± 0.14% Total Suspended Solids (TSS), 61.04 ± 7.77% Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), 32.02 ± 17.42% Total Diluted Solids (TDS), 13.30 ± 4.17% Total Nitrogen (TN), and 11.12 ± 2.46% Total Phosphorus (TP), with favorable sludge parameters (SVI: 20, MLSS: 11.5 g/L) and stable operation (TMP: 0.66 bar, flux: 18.2 L/m²·h). These results meet two national seafood wastewater discharge standards, highlighting AnMBR's potential for large-scale applications in the industry. These outcomes obtained at the pilot-scale level meet two national parameters discharge standard which applies specifically to seafood processing wastewater. It underscores the significant potential of AnMBR technology for widespread adoption in treating real-time wastewater generated by the seafood industry.