Desalination of fish meat extract by electrodialysis and characterization of membrane fouling

Fish meat extract (FME) desalination via electrodialysis (ED) was performed and the changes of important parameters such as membrane stack potential, brix, pH, and electrical conductivity were examined for a quantitative evaluation. The change of electrical conductivity in diluted or concentrated solutions showed that the mineral ions contained in the FME could be effectively removed. The characterization of membrane fouling indicated that the organic/ inorganic components deposited, respectively, on the surfaces of anion/cation exchange membrane and resulted in the increase of membrane electrical resistance. Ion chromatograph (IC) analysis showed that the main mineral ions, such as Na⁺ and Cl⁺ ions contained in the FME, were removed about 82.3% at an average current efficiency of around 77.9% via ED. By considering the removal rate of mineral ions and current efficiency, the feasibility of FME desalination via ED was proved.