Enhancing Operational Stability and Pollutants Removal in Dynamic Membrane Bioreactors via Granular Activated Carbon for Landfill Leachate Treatment Metagenome

In this study, a multi-stage anoxic-aerobic DMBR system was established for the co-treatment of aged landfill leachate and fresh incineration leachate, and operated under three GAC dosages (0, 2, and 4 g/L) to systematically investigate its effects on system performance. This study aimed to enhance operational stability of a DMBR and improve overall pollutants removal (beyond nitrogen) by incorporating granular activated carbon (GAC) into the process. The objective was to exploit the adsorptive and microbial support properties of GAC to reduce fouling and bolster the organics removal and DM layer formation, thereby stabilizing performance. In summary, the goal was a more robust DMBR that can handle leachate's complex pollutant load through GAC augmentation. The central question here is how GAC alters DM formation/structure, and functional nitrogen pathways. Therefore, The suspended sludge samples were collected at the end of operation for each stages (day 21, day 47 and day 111), denoted as C-M, G1-M and G2-M, respectively, for analyzing functional genes involved in nitrogen removal and biofouling in DMBR systems.