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Aerobic and anaerobic treatment of DMAc and NMP - Treatment options for membrane production

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) are solvents that are used for the production of polysulfone-based membranes. The resulting solvent-containing wastewater is treated or disposed of externally. The associated effort can be reduced by treating the wastewater on site. Laboratory tests using moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), two-stage vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) and anaerobic processes were conducted to select a suitable technology for this purpose.The results showed that the solvents DMAc and NMP were well aerobically degradable. The MBBR and VFCWs achieved in average DOC removal efficiencies of 95 % and 98 %, respectively. The nitrogen contained in the solvents was completely nitrified in the VFCWs, whereas nitrification in the MBBRs was dependent on the load. The results of the anaerobic tests differed significantly. DMAc was almost completely degraded. NMP, on the other hand, was slowly degradable under anaerobic conditions.

Source: Water Resources and Industry

DOI: 10.1016/j.wri.2025.100321

Authors: Thomas Schalk, Markus Ahnert, Anja Rollberg, Dirk Freitag-Stechl, Peter Krebs

Language: English

Topic: Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,613

Funder: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung