Abstract This work evaluates the treatment of wastewater
from a personal care products factory by a full-scale sidestream
membrane bioreactor (MBR) intermittently fed. The
wastewater contained particulate and soluble chemical oxygen
demand (COD) which is partially removed by physicochemical
pretreatment. Steady removal efficiencies above 98 %
were achieved for BOD5, COD and suspended solids. Fats,
oils and grease present in the raw wastewater were also
successfully removed. The MBR was operated at an average
permeate flux of 12 L/m2·h (LMH) working at a transmembrane
pressure of 272±97 mbar. The soluble microbial products
concentration remained fairly stable at 175±25 and 85±
15 mg/L for proteins and carbohydrates, respectively. This
maintained the filtration characteristics of the mixed liquor
unaltered over a long-term basis, which was evidenced by a
constant permeability of 43±19 LMH/bar. Most of the trace
organics detected in the wastewater were completely removed
and only some fragrances were detected in the permeate at
trace concentrations.