Containerized MBR Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment

A mid-sized poultry slaughterhouse in eastern China processes approximately 15,000 chickens per day, generating 120 cubic meters of wastewater daily with high concentrations of blood, fats, proteins, and biodegradable organic matter. The raw effluent exhibited COD levels averaging 2,800 mg/L, BOD5 around 1,500 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen at 120 mg/L, and oil and grease exceeding 200 mg/L.

The slaughterhouse had been operating with a basic screening and settling system that was clearly inadequate for the pollutant load. Regulatory pressure was mounting, and the facility faced the risk of production suspension if compliance was not achieved within a specified timeframe.

Zhongqiao Enlightenment proposed a two-stage treatment approach combining a dissolved air flotation pretreatment unit with a containerized MBR integrated wastewater treatment system. The DAF unit was specified to remove the bulk of fats, oils, grease, and suspended proteinaceous solids before the effluent entered the biological treatment stage.

The biological treatment stage was configured as a containerized MBR system housed in a standard 40-foot shipping container. Inside the container, the treatment train included an anoxic zone for denitrification, an oxic zone for carbon removal and nitrification, and a membrane filtration tank equipped with submerged hollow-fiber PVDF membrane modules.

The DAF pretreatment unit was delivered as a skid-mounted system and installed adjacent to the containerized MBR unit on a level concrete pad. The entire treatment system was installed and commissioned within 25 days of equipment delivery.

Following the acclimation period, the combined DAF and MBR system achieved consistent compliance with all discharge parameters. The DAF unit reduced influent COD from 2,800 mg/L to approximately 900 mg/L, removed 88 percent of oil and grease, and eliminated over 80 percent of suspended solids.

The PLC-based control system provided by Zhongqiao Enlightenment enabled fully automated operation of the entire treatment train. Operational data was logged and accessible via a cloud-based dashboard, allowing the plant manager to monitor system performance remotely from a smartphone.

The slaughterhouse plant manager said the combination of DAF pretreatment and containerized MBR solved the high-strength slaughterhouse wastewater problem completely. The facility has passed every regulatory inspection since commissioning, while daily routine checks require only about 30 minutes of staff time.

The operating costs of the combined system have proven highly competitive. The total operating cost, including chemicals, electricity, and sludge disposal, amounts to roughly 0.85 USD per cubic meter of wastewater treated, which is well below the industry average for slaughterhouse wastewater treatment.

Zhongqiao Enlightenment provides ongoing after-sales support including quarterly preventive maintenance visits, annual membrane integrity testing, and 24-hour remote technical assistance. This project demonstrates how the strategic combination of DAF pretreatment and MBR technology can solve challenging industrial wastewater treatment problems efficiently and cost-effectively.