Integrated electrocoagulation–membrane bioreactor process for the treatment of IBC washing wastewater

Abstract The increasing reuse of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) in industrial logistics produces washing wastewater with high organic loads and complex chemical compositions. In this study, an integrated treatment strategy combining electrocoagulation (EC) and a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) was examined for treating IBC washing wastewater. Preliminary coagulation experiments identified polyaluminum chloride (PAC) as the most effective chemical coagulant; however, electrocoagulation delivered superior treatment performance and was therefore selected as the pretreatment process. EC pretreatment reduced the wastewater COD from 27,200 to 11,913 mg/L and increased the BOD 5 /COD ratio from 0.32 to 0.48, indicating enhanced biodegradability. The EC‐pretreated wastewater was then treated in an SMBR operated continuously for 30 days, yielding a final effluent COD of 815 mg/L and an overall COD removal efficiency of approximately 97%. The treated effluent met industrial discharge standards for organized industrial zones. Membrane fouling was systematically characterized by combining permeate flux analysis with SMP/EPS measurements and SEM, EDS, and FTIR analyses. The integrated results demonstrated that biofouling, driven primarily by proteinaceous and polysaccharide‐rich deposits, was the dominant fouling mechanism. Overall, the results demonstrate that the EC–SMBR hybrid process offers an effective and sustainable solution for high‐strength industrial wastewater, providing a promising approach to managing complex industrial effluents.