scholarly journals Pilot Study on the Combination of Different Pre-Treatments with Nanofiltration for Efficiently Restraining Membrane Fouling While Providing High-Quality Drinking Water

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 380
Author(s):  
Yan Chen ◽  
Huiping Li ◽  
Weihai Pang ◽  
Baiqin Zhou ◽  
Tian Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Treated Water

Nanofiltration (NF) is a promising post-treatment technology for providing high-quality drinking water. However, membrane fouling remains a challenge to long-term NF in providing high-quality drinking water. Herein, we found that coupling pre-treatments (sand filtration (SF) and ozone–biological activated carbon (O3-BAC)) and NF is a potent tactic against membrane fouling while achieving high-quality drinking water. The pilot results showed that using SF+O3-BAC pre-treated water as the feed water resulted in a lower but a slowly rising transmembrane pressure (TMP) in NF post-treatment, whereas an opposite observation was found when using SF pre-treated water as the feed water. High-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy determined that the O3-BAC process changed the characteristic of dissolved organic matter (DOM), probably by removing the DOM of lower apparent molecular weight (LMW) and decreasing the biodegradability of water. Moreover, amino acids and tyrosine-like substances which were significantly related to medium and small molecule organics were found as the key foulants to membrane fouling. In addition, the accumulation of powdered activated carbon in O3-BAC pre-treated water on the membrane surface could be the key reason protecting the NF membrane from fouling.

Design considerations for wastewater treatment by reverse osmosis

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 473-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Bartels ◽  
M. Wilf ◽  
K. Andes ◽  
J. Iong
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Calcium Phosphate ◽  
Reverse Osmosis ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Quality Water

Reverse Osmosis is finding increasing use for the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewaters due to the growing demand for high quality water in large urban areas. The growing success of membranes in this application is related to improved process designs and improved membrane products. Key factors which have been determined to result in successful operation of large-scale plants will be discussed. Factors which play a key role in the use of RO membranes include ultra or microfiltration pretreatment, low fouling membranes, flux rate, recovery and control of fouling and scaling. In particular, high flux rates can be used when UF or MF pretreatment is used. These technologies remove most of the suspended particles that would normally cause heavy fouling of lead elements. Typically, fluxes in the range of 17–21 lmh lead to cleaning frequencies in the range of 3–4 months. By combining the use of membrane pretreatment and chloramination of the feed water through chlorine addition, two of the primary sources of RO membrane fouling can be controlled. The use of chloramine has become a proven means to control biofouling in a membrane for wastewater applications. The other significant problems for RO membranes result from organics fouling by dissolved organics and scaling due to saturation of marginally soluble salts. The former can be a significant problem for membranes, due to the strong attraction forces. To some extent, these can be mitigated by making the membrane surface more hydrophilic or changing the charge of the membrane surface. To minimize fouling, many plants are turning to low fouling membranes. Extensive studies have demonstrated that the membrane surface is hydrophilic, neutrally charged over a broad pH range, and more resistant to organic adsorption. Also, an analysis of the potential scaling issues will be reviewed. In particular, calcium phosphate has been found to be one of the key scalants that will limit RO system recovery rate. Calcium phosphate concentrations can reach high values in many wastewaters, and scaling of this compound is not often modeled in most RO projection software. Various process options will be presented to evaluate the most economic means of avoiding phosphate scaling. Finally, data from major RO wastewater treatment plants will be presented to show how the RO membranes operate under actual conditions, utilizing many of these design features. Long term data from the 2.6 mgd Bedok demonstration Plant demonstrate that the RO membranes operate consistently on wastewater. Experiences from the 8.5 mgd (32,000 m3/day) Bedok and 10.5 mgd (40,000 m3/day) Kranji plants will also be presented. These large plants started operation in the fall of 2002 and have demonstrated an effective means to reclaim high quality water from difficult source waters, such as municipal wastewaters.

scholarly journals Effect and mechanism of reduced membrane bioreactor fouling by powdered activated carbon

2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 1005-1016
Author(s):  
Yongji Zhang ◽  
Xiaotong Wang ◽  
Hexiu Ye ◽  
Lingling Zhou ◽  
Zhiling Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Carbon Membrane ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Cleaning Methods ◽  
Alkaline Cleaning

Abstract Powered Activated Carbon – Membrane Bioreactors (PAC-MBRs) have been used with good results for slightly polluted water treatment. Our batch experiments showed that the transmembrane pressure of a PAC-MBR was 25% less than that of a MBR in one period of test, which indicated that PAC did help control the fouling in MBRs. Based on this observation, several mechanisms of membrane fouling of MBRs and PAC-MBRs were investigated to have some insight into how PAC brought a positive impact. The total resistances decreased by 60% and different resistances were redistributed after adding PAC. The dominant one changed from filtration resistance to cake resistance. These smaller cake resistances resulted from the PAC because, showing in the scanning electron microscopy pictures, it made the cake layer looser and rougher than that on a normal membrane. Meanwhile, the analysis of the membrane eluent showed that the addition of PAC changed the microbial species and its metabolites on the membrane and effectively reduced the adsorption of hydrophilic organic molecules on the membrane surface. Additionally, PAC prevented polypeptide compounds from being trapped inside the pores of membranes, so the cake on the PAC-MBR contaminated membrane surface was easier to scrape off. In the test of cleaning methods, alkaline cleaning removed the most organics from contaminated membranes to restore membrane performance.

Coagulation/flocculation/ultrafiltration for natural organic matter removal in drinking water production

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 215-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. Costa ◽  
M.N. de Pinho
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Natural Organic Matter ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Cellulose Acetate Membranes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Drinking Water Production

Membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM), namely by humic substances (HS), is a major problem in water treatment for drinking water production using membrane processes. Membrane fouling is dependent on membrane morphology like pore size and on water characteristics namely NOM nature. This work addresses the evaluation of the efficiency of ultrafiltration (UF) and Coagulation/Flocculation/UF performance in terms of permeation fluxes and HS removal, of the water from Tagus River (Valada). The operation of coagulation with chitosan was evaluated as a pretreatment for minimization of membrane fouling. UF experiments were carried out in flat cells of 13.2×10−4 m2 of membrane surface area and at transmembrane pressures from 1 to 4 bar. Five cellulose acetate membranes were laboratory made to cover a wide range of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO): 2,300, 11,000, 28,000, 60,000 and 75,000 Da. Severe fouling is observed for the membranes with the highest cut-off. In the permeation experiments of raw water, coagulation prior to membrane filtration led to a significant improvement of the permeation performance of the membranes with the highest MWCO due to the particles and colloidal matter removal.

A pilot study of hybrid biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration-ultrafiltration process for water supply in rural areas: role of BAC pretreatment in alleviating membrane fouling

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangshu Qu ◽  
Zhongsen Yan ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Xiaobo Wang ◽  
Heng Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Biological Activated Carbon ◽  
Ultrafiltration Process

For decentralized drinking water treatment in rural areas, a hybrid process of biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration and ultrafiltration (UF) was applied to obtain potable water.

Chemical pretreatment of feed water for membrane distillation

2008 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Gryta
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Membrane Distillation ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Chemical Pretreatment ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Membrane Scaling ◽  
Water Pretreatment ◽  
Energy Dispersion Spectrometry ◽  
Process Operation

AbstractMembrane distillation was used to produce demineralized water from ground water. The influence of feed water pretreatment carried out in a contact clarifier (softening with Ca(OH)2 and coagulation with FeSO4 · 7H2O) followed by filtration, on the process effectiveness was evaluated. It was found that the chemical pretreatment decreased the membrane fouling; however, the degree of water purification was insufficient because precipitation of small amounts of deposit on the membrane surface during the process operation was still observed. The permeate flux was gradually decreasing as a result of scaling. The morphology and composition of the fouling layer were studied using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersion spectrometry. The presence of significant amounts of silica, apart from calcium and magnesium, was determined in the formed deposit. The removal of foulants by heterogeneous crystallization performed inside the filter (70 mesh), assembled directly at the module inlet, was found to be a solution preventing the membrane scaling.

Pretreatment Process of Nanofiltration for Silting Density Index Reduction in Drinking Water Treatment System

2013 ◽  
Vol 777 ◽  
pp. 467-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Wang ◽  
Ying Chun Li ◽  
He Zhao ◽  
Zhao Hui Zhang ◽  
Bin Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Hybrid Process ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Sand Filtration ◽  
Density Index ◽  
One Year

Calcium ions, magnesium ions, and silicate were the main reasons for the high silting density index (SDI) of natural waters. Therefore, they posed serious membrane fouling problems in the nanofiltration (NF) system, which restricted the wide application of this excellent drinking water treatment technology. In this study, the sand filtration and the micro-flocculation/sand filtration hybrid process were investigated as the pretreatment process of NF for SDI reduction. Compared with the sand filtration, the hybrid process of micro-flocculation/sand filtration was more effective for SDI reduction. When polyaluminium chloride (PAC) was used as the flocculant at a dose of 10 mg/L and the filtration rate of the sand filter was controlled at 10 m/h, the SDI value in the effluent of the pretreatment process maintained below 3. As a result, the subsequent NF system stably ran for one year. 68% CODMn was removal by NF. The membrane fouling during the operation was quite slight as the transmembrane pressure (TMP) increased by 17% after one-year use. Chemical cleaning with sodium tripolyphosphate (2%) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (0.25%) at 6 months interval could effectively recover the flux loss of the NF membrane.

scholarly journals Progress in Research and Application of Nanofiltration (NF) Technology for Brackish Water Treatment

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 662
Author(s):  
Jiayu Tian ◽  
Xingrui Zhao ◽  
Shanshan Gao ◽  
Xiaoying Wang ◽  
Ruijun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Feed Water

Brackish water is a potential fresh water resource with lower salt content than seawater. Desalination of brackish water is an important option to alleviate the prevalent water crisis around the world. As a membrane technology ranging between UF and RO, NF can achieve the partial desalination via size exclusion and charge exclusion. So, it has been widely concerned and applied in treatment of brackish water during the past several decades. Hereon, an overview of the progress in research on and application of NF technology for brackish water treatment is provided. On the basis of expounding the features of brackish water, the factors affecting NF efficiency, including the feed water characteristics, operating conditions and NF membrane properties, are analyzed. For the ubiquitous membrane fouling problem, three preventive fouling control strategies including feed water pretreatment, optimization of operating conditions and selection of anti-fouling membranes are summarized. In addition, membrane cleaning methods for restoring the fouled membrane are discussed. Furthermore, the combined utilization of NF with other membrane technologies is reviewed. Finally, future research prospects are proposed to deal with the current existing problems. Lessons gained from this review are expected to promote the sustainable development of brackish water treatment with NF technology.

Evaluating submicron-sized activated carbon adsorption for microfiltration pretreatment

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Matsui ◽  
T. Sanogawa ◽  
N. Aoki ◽  
S. Mima ◽  
T. Matsushita
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Adsorption Kinetics ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Flow Reactor ◽  
Laboratory Scale ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Activated Carbon Adsorption ◽  
Membrane Unit ◽  
Tubular Flow Reactor ◽  
Tubular Flow

Submicron powdered activated carbon (PAC) rapidly adsorbed natural organic matter (NOM) fromwater samples: a batch test of the adsorption kinetics showed that the NOM concentration dropped substantially within 15 s and then leveled off. In a tubular flow reactor test, NOM removal after a 15 s contact time was almost the same as removal values attained at longer contact times. Laboratory-scale and bench-scale pilotplant ceramic microfiltration (MF) experiments with submicron PAC adsorption pretreatment were conducted to evaluate NOM removal and to examine the effect of the PAC on filterability. The laboratory scale MF experiment revealed that PAC adsorption pretreatment could be accomplished with a detention (2.4 s) that was much shorter than the time expected from the adsorption kinetics test. This result suggests that adsorption pretreatment for MF could be accomplished by adding the submicron PAC directly into the feed line to the membrane and that installation of a special PAC contactor before the membrane unit is unnecessary. Although micron PAC rather than submicron PAC was used unintentionally in the pilot plant experiment, these PAC showed much better NOM removal than normal PAC, and no adverse effects, such as transmembrane pressure buildup and reversible or irreversible membrane fouling, were observed.

scholarly journals Dynamical Modelling and Simulation of Wastewater Filtration Process by Submerged Membrane Bioreactors

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Zarragoitia ◽  
Sylvie Schetrite ◽  
Ulises J. Jauregui-Haza ◽  
Claire Albasi
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Membrane Bioreactors ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Intermittent Aeration ◽  
Filtration Process ◽  
Solids Concentration ◽  
Wastewater Filtration ◽  
System Variables

A mathematical model was developed for the filtration process and the influence of aeration on Submerged Membrane Bioreactors. The dynamics of sludge attachment to and detachment from the membrane, in relation to the filtration and a strong intermittent aeration, were included in the model. The influence on the membrane fouling of intermittent aeration injected on the membrane surface, and its synchronization with intermittent filtration, were studied numerically and experimentally. For the evaluation of filtration cake development, the assumption of the presence of two cake layers (one dynamic and the other stable) was considered. The model development and simulation focused on the description of existing relationships among important system variables like mixed liquor suspended solids concentration, aeration, temperature of the sludge suspension, transmembrane pressure, and the fouling increase during the filtration process. The model obtained offers the possibility of improving the design configuration and operation strategies of Submerged Membrane Bioreactors in wastewater treatment, and it allows the of aeration-filtration cycles to be optimized.

Influence of calcium-NOM complexes on fouling of nanofiltration membranes in drinking water production

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.R. Cornelissen ◽  
W.G. Siegers ◽  
J. Ogier ◽  
E.F. Beerendonk
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Calcium Concentration ◽  
Calcium Content ◽  
Free Calcium ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Nanofiltration Membranes ◽  
Water And Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Particulate Fouling ◽  
Flux Decline

The application of nanofiltration is growing rapidly in drinking water and wastewater treatment. The main problem during the operation of nanofiltration membranes is membrane fouling, part of which is due to the presence of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in sources for drinking water. In this work the effect of calcium was investigated on the nanofiltration fouling behavior in relation to NOM. From Li and Elimelech (2004) it is known that calcium enhanced membrane fouling significantly due to the formation of calcium-NOM complexes. Two techniques were used in our research to determine the part of calcium which is complexated by NOM and the free calcium ion in solution. Results showed that a minimum calcium concentration and a minimum NOM concentration were required for calcium-NOM complex formation. Furthermore, the influence of the calcium concentration on the flux decline during nanofiltration experiments was investigated for different types of feed water. The observed flux decline was proven to be only caused by NOM fouling rather than other membrane fouling types, such as biofouling, scaling or particulate fouling. Fouling of nanofiltration membranes was related to the calcium content in the feed water, and more specifically to the calcium-NOM complex concentration. Membrane cleaning with SDS was found to be very effective.

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