Removal performance of heavy metals in MBR systems and their influence in water reuse Arévalo, Juan Ruiz Hernández, Luz Marina Pérez Pérez, Jorge Ignacio Moreno Escobar, María Begoña Gómez Nieto, Miguel Ángel This research (NET 324936/1) was funded by the Andalusian Government (Andalusian Water Agency) with European Union funds (FEDER), and was conducted at the Department of Civil Engineering and the Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, with the collaboration of EMASAGRA. J. Arévalo was supported by a PhD scholarship from the Ministry of Education of Spain (PFPU). The removal performance of heavy metals by two experimental full-scale membrane bioreactors (microfiltration and ultrafiltration) and the influence of activated sludge total suspended solid (TSS) concentration were studied under real operational conditions. Influent and effluent Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Ba, Sn, Sb, Pb and U concentrations were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. An average contamination rate for most of the analysed heavy metals was observed in raw wastewater, resulting in effluents without limitation for reuse in agricultural destinations according to Spanish law. Removal efficiencies up to 80% were obtained regardless of whether microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes were used, except for As, Mo and Sb. The removal yields of different heavy metals can be strengthened by increasing the activated sludge TSS concentration, mainly at concentrations above 10 g/L. 2025-02-03T10:23:27Z 2025-02-03T10:23:27Z 2013-02-01 journal article J. Arévalo et al. | Removal performance of heavy metals in MBR systems. Water Science & Technology | 67.4 | 2013. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.620 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/101876 10.2166/wst.2012.620 eng open access IWA Publishing