Integrated media filtration and membrane bioreactor technology for sustainable domestic wastewater treatment

Increasing urbanization and water scarcity have intensified the need for advanced wastewater treatment technologies capable of producing high-quality effluent suitable for reuse. This study investigates the performance of an integrated Media Filtration–Membrane Bioreactor (MF–MBR) system for domestic wastewater treatment under conditions representative of Indian municipal wastewater. A pilot-scale experimental setup consisting of standalone Media Filtration (MF), standalone Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), and hybrid MF–MBR configurations were operated continuously for 90 days. The treatment performance was evaluated in terms of organic pollutant removal, suspended solids reduction, nutrient elimination, pathogen removal, membrane fouling mitigation, energy consumption, and operational sustainability. Results demonstrated that the hybrid MF–MBR system achieved superior treatment efficiency with average removals of 98.3% for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 97.5% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 99.1% for total suspended solids (TSS), 81.2% for total nitrogen, and 76.5% for total phosphorus. Pathogen removal exceeded 99.99%, producing effluent suitable for non-potable reuse applications. Media filtration significantly reduced particulate loading to the membrane unit, resulting in a 45% reduction in fouling rate, improved flux stability, and lower transmembrane pressure development. Furthermore, the integrated system reduced energy consumption by approximately 22% and operational costs by nearly 26% compared with conventional MBR operation. The findings demonstrate that the MF–MBR approach offers a technically efficient, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable solution for future municipal wastewater treatment and water reuse applications.