Enhanced performance of a submerged membrane bioreactor with powdered activated carbon addition for municipal secondary effluent treatment

► The first study to investigate the feasibility of PAC-MBR process treating municipal secondary effluent. ► The study revealed that most organics in the secondary effluent were low molecular weight (MW) substances, which could be retained in the reactor and then removed to some extent by PAC-MBR process. ► The study suggested that the action of biomass and the PAC is mutual and synergistic.