scholarly journals Comparative environmental impact evaluation using life cycle assessment approach: a case study of integrated membrane-filtration system for the treatment of aerobically-digested palm oil mill effluent

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeit Haan Teow ◽  
Meng Teck Chong ◽  
Kah Chun Ho ◽  
Abdul Wahab Mohammad
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Sand Filters ◽  
Unit Operations ◽  
Filtration System ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Aerobically Digested

AbstractAiming to mitigate wastewater pollution arising from the palm oil industry, this university-industry research-and-development project focused on the integration of serial treatment processes, including the use of moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), pre-treatment with sand filters and activated carbon filters, and membrane technology for aerobically-digested palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment. To assess the potential of this sustainable alternative practice in the industry, the developed technology was demonstrated in a pilot-scale facility: four combinations (Combinations I to IV) of unit operations were developed in an integrated membrane-filtration system. Combination I includes a MBBR, pre-treatment unit comprising sand filters and activated carbon filters, ultrafiltration (UF) membrane, and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, while Combination II excludes MBBR, Combination III excludes UF membrane, and Combination IV excludes both MBBR and UF membrane. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to evaluate potential environmental impacts arising from each combination while achieving the goal of obtaining recycled and reusable water from the aerobically-digested POME treatment. It is reported that electricity consumption is the predominant factor contributing to most of those categories (50–77%) as the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides, and volatile mercury during the combustion of fossil fuels. Combination I in the integrated membrane-filtration system with all unit operations incurring high electricity consumption (52 MJ) contributed to the greatest environmental impact. Electricity consumption registers the highest impact towards all life cycle impact categories: 73% on climate change, 80% on terrestrial acidification, 51% on eutrophication, and 43% on human toxicity. Conversely, Combination IV is the most environmentally-friendly process, since it involves only two-unit operations – pre-treatment unit (comprising sand filters and activated carbon filters) and RO membrane unit – and thus incurs the least electricity consumption (41.6 MJ). The LCA offers insights into each combination of the operating process and facilitates both researchers and the industry towards sustainable production.

Low-pressure membrane filtration with unconventional coagulation regimes

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.Y. Choi ◽  
B.A. Dempsey
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Chemical Cleaning ◽  
Sand Filters ◽  
Charge Neutralization ◽  
Floc Size ◽  
Filtration System ◽  
Pre Treatment

The objective of the research was to evaluate in-line coagulation to improve performance during ultrafiltration (UF). In-line coagulation means use of coagulants without removal of coagulated solids prior to UF. Performance was evaluated by removal of contaminants (water quality) and by resistance to filtration and recovery of flux after hydraulic or chemical cleaning (water production). We hypothesized that coagulation conditions inappropriate for conventional treatment, in particular under-dosing conditions that produce particles that neither settle nor are removed in rapid sand filters, would be effective for in-line coagulation prior to UF. A variety of pre-treatment processes for UF have been investigated including coagulation, powdered activated carbon (PAC) or granular activated carbon (GAC), adsorption on iron oxides or other pre-formed settleable solid phases, or ozonation. Coagulation pre-treatment is often used for removal of fouling substances prior to NF or RO. It has been reported that effective conventional coagulation conditions produced larger particles and this reduced fouling during membrane filtration by reducing adsorption in membrane pores, increasing cake porosity, and increasing transport of foulants away from the membrane surface. However, aggregates produced under sweep floc conditions were more compressible than for charge neutralization conditions, resulting in compaction when the membrane filtration system was pressurized. It was known that the coagulated suspension under either charge-neutralization or sweep floc condition showed similar steady-state flux under the cross-flow microfiltration mode. Another report on the concept of critical floc size suggested that flocs need to reach a certain critical size before MF, otherwise membranes can be irreversibly clogged by the coagulant solids. The authors were motivated to study the effect of various coagulation conditions on the performance of a membrane filtration system.

scholarly journals Oily Wastewater Treatment Using Polyamide Thin Film Composite Membrane Technology

Membranes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Elhady ◽  
Mohamed Bassyouni ◽  
Ramadan A. Mansour ◽  
Medhat H. Elzahar ◽  
Shereen Abdel-Hamid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Edible Oil ◽  
Oily Wastewater ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Thin Film Composite ◽  
Ro Membrane ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Oil Wastewater

In this study, polyamide (PA) thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration was used in edible oil wastewater emulsion treatment. The PA-TFC membrane was characterized using mechanical, thermal, chemical, and physical tests. Surface morphology and cross-sections of TFCs were characterized using SEM. The effects of edible oil concentrations, average droplets size, and contact angle on separation efficiency and flux were studied in detail. Purification performance was enhanced using activated carbon as a pre-treatment unit. The performance of the RO unit was assessed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and permeate flux. Oil concentration in wastewater varied between 3000 mg/L and 6000 mg/L. Oily wastewater showed a higher contact angle (62.9°) than de-ionized water (33°). Experimental results showed that the presence of activated carbon increases the permeation COD removal from 94% to 99%. The RO membrane filtration coupled with an activated carbon unit of oily wastewater is a convenient hybrid technique for removal of high-concentration edible oil wastewater emulsion up to 99%. Using activated carbon as an adsorption pre-treatment unit improved the permeate flux from 34 L/m2hr to 75 L/m2hr.

scholarly journals SUSTAINABLE APPROACH OF RECYCLING PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT (POME) USING INTEGRATED BIOFILM/MEMBRANE FILTRATION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL PLANT USAGE

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Al-Amshawee Sajjad ◽  
Yeit Haan Teow ◽  
Abdul Wahab Mohammad Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Palm Oil Mill Effluent ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Sustainable Engineering ◽  
Biofilm Carrier ◽  
Filtration System ◽  
Palm Oil Mill ◽  
Considerable Range

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a massive problem to the environment, primarily waterway as it contains a considerable range of pollutants. Therefore, while enjoying the high revenue from palm oil industry, the palm oil industry responsibility towards the POME treatment must be taken into consideration. Along with the development of sustainable engineering concept, many researchers have focused on inventing a system that does not compromise the natural environment or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using integrated biofilm treatment/membrane filtration process in producing recyclable and reusable water by manipulating the biofilm carrier type and the biofilm treatment HRT. The combined system of biofilm and membrane had delivered 98.6, 99.98, 97.5, 100, and 99.87% of COD, Turbidity, MLSS, TSS, and ammoniacal nitrogen removal, respectively. The produced permeate from aerobic POME remediation by biofilm/ membrane filtration system meets the III and IV class of the National Water Quality standards of Malaysia for water supply (Extensive treatment is required), and fishery (livestock drinking) purpose.

scholarly journals Effects of Ferrihydrite-Impregnated Powdered Activated Carbon on Phosphate Removal and Biofouling of Ultrafiltration Membrane

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1178
Author(s):  
Jenyuk Lohwacharin ◽  
Thitiwut Maliwan ◽  
Hideki Osawa ◽  
Satoshi Takizawa
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Powdered Activated Carbon ◽  
Phosphate Removal ◽  
Phosphate Adsorption ◽  
Surface Water Treatment ◽  
Filtration System ◽  
Pore Blockage

The presence of multiple contaminant species in surface waters makes surface water treatment difficult to accomplish through a single process. Herein, we evaluated the ability of an integrated adsorption/ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filtration system to simultaneously remove phosphates and dissolved organic matter (DOM). When bare powdered activated carbon (PAC) and PAC impregnated with amorphous ferrihydrite (FHPAC) adsorbents were compared, FHPAC showed a greater adsorption rate and capacity for phosphate. FHPAC had a phosphate adsorption capacity of 2.32 mg PO43−/g FHPAC, even when DOM was present as a competing adsorbate. In a lab-scale hybrid FHPAC-UF system (i.e. integrated adsorption by FHPAC with UF membrane filtration), irreversible membrane fouling was ca. three times lower than that in a PAC-UF system. When membrane fouling in the PAC-UF system was described with pore blockage models, we found that the main cause of fouling was bacterial deposition on the membrane surface. CLSM analysis determined that the chemical composition of foulants in the PAC-UF system included higher proportions of proteins, nucleic acids, and alpha-polysaccharides than that in the FHPAC-UF system. Overall, FHPAC’s ability to undergo ligand exchanges with DOM helped to reduce the nutrients and bacteria that cause biofouling to accumulate on the membrane surface.

Boron removal by activated carbon and microfiltration for pre-treatment of seawater desalination

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 560-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joon-Seok Kang ◽  
Ramon Christian Eusebio ◽  
Han-Seung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Hollow Fiber Membrane ◽  
Boron Removal ◽  
Activated Carbon Adsorption ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Seawater Reverse Osmosis ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Flat Sheet Membrane

This study aimed to enhance boron removal through powdered activated carbon adsorption (PAC) and application of a micro-filtration (MF) process as a pretreatment of a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) process. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of membrane filtration as well as PAC addition on boron removal in reconstituted seawater. In batch test, two kinds of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane, Module A and Module B, were used to assess the influence of pH and PAC on boron removal, whereas in continuous mode, two MF systems with submerged PVDF flat-sheet membrane were run in parallel. Modules A and B obtained the highest percentage boron removal at pH 9 in the batch experiment with an average value of 47.33%, and their concentration of boron was further reduced after addition of PAC increasing the removal to 51.33 and 69.33%, respectively. For the continuous operation, PAC addition decreased the boron concentration by 20–30 and 40% in the reactor and effluent, respectively. On the other hand, only 5% reduction was obtained inside the reactor and 30–40% in the effluent for the system without PAC. Thus, operating the system at high pH with PAC addition could enhance the performance of the adsorption-MF system, which can be used as a pretreatment for the SWRO process.

Influence of powdered and granular activated carbon system as a pre-treatment alternative for membrane filtration of produced water

2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Borte Kose-Mutlu ◽  
Mustafa Evren Ersahin ◽  
Hale Ozgun ◽  
Recep Kaya ◽  
Cumali Kinaci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Granular Activated Carbon ◽  
Treatment Alternative ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Carbon System

Membrane filtration of surface water in the presence of ozone

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sawada ◽  
I. Sumida ◽  
K. Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Humic Acid ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Pre Treatment

The preliminary study investigated the effect of pre-ozonation of synthetic raw water (bentonite and humic acid) on membrane fouling. The results showed that humic acid, not bentonite, was the dominant factor in membrane fouling. When the synthetic raw water was pre-treated using ozone and activated carbon, stable operation was possible at twice the flux of membrane filtration without pre-treatment. Thus, ozone and activated carbon reduced the concentration of organic matter (humic acid), leading to an increase in flux. Secondly, an MF membrane filtration device with ozone tolerance was attached downstream of the ozone reactor so that residual ozone could reach the membrane surface. When water was treated with MF membrane filtration in the presence of ozone, the flux was stable at 4 m/d. The membrane filtration resistance increased when ozone was not injected, and decreased when it was injected. This phenomenon was repeatable. In the presence of ozone, organic matter that could accelerate fouling as decomposed and converted to less fouled materials, resulting in a suppression of fouling as well as facilitating removal of the fouling layer during back washing.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document