Tetra-detector size exclusion chromatography characterization of molecular and solution properties of soluble microbial polysaccharides from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor

Abstract

Tetra-detector HPSEC was evaluated for the SMP characterization

Molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity of the SMP were characterized

Specific viscosity and osmotic pressure of the SMP solution were studied

Approach to analyze the concentration polarization of the SMP was discussed

Characterization of the molecular properties of soluble microbial products (SMP) is critical for understanding the membrane filtration and fouling mechanisms in anaerobic and aerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR & MBR). In this study, the distributions of the absolute molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity of SMP polysaccharides from an AnMBR were effectively determined by a high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) that was coupled with the refractive index (RI), diode array UV (DAUV), right and low angle light scattering (LS), and viscometer (Vis) detectors. Based on the tetra-detector HPSEC determined absolute molecular weights and intrinsic viscosity, a universal calibration relationship for the SMP polysaccharides was developed and the molecular conformations, average molecular weights, and hydrodynamic sizes of the SMP polysaccharides were also explored. Two factors which can be derived from the tetra-detector HPSEC analysis were proposed for the characterization of the viscous and osmotic pressure properties of the SMP polysaccharides. In addition, it was also extrapolated how to analyze the resistance characteristics of the concentration polarization layers formed in membrane filtration based on the molecular properties determined by the tetra-detector HPSEC analysis.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Soluble microbial product / Extracellular polymeric substance / Membrane bioreactor / Membrane fouling / Molecular weight / Intrinsic viscosity

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ontario Centres of Excellence (CR-SW-11384-12), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) (No. 28061), and GE Water and Process Technologies for the support on this research; Yi Liu for the preparation of the SMP samples; and Malvern specialist Ahmad Abu Romeh for his support on the tetra-detector HPSEC analysis.

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2017 Higher Education Press and Springer–Verlag Berlin Heidelberg