Role of membrane pore size in tertiary flocculation/adsorption/ultrafiltration treatment of municipal wastewater

Flocculation, adsorption onto powered activated carbon (PAC), and ultrafiltration (UF), alone and in combination, were tested for tertiary treatment of the secondary effluent from municipal wastewater treatment at the Ashkelon plant (in southern Israel). Encouraging and reliable results of total organic carbon (TOC) of <3 mg/l were achieved with a combination of 130 mg/l FeCl₃, 0.6 g/l PAC and UF. The relative contribution of the UF membrane to the reduction of TOC changed with the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of the membrane, from a negligible 2.9% for a 100-kDa-MWCO membrane to 17% for 10- and 2-kDa membranes. The latter membranes, however, developed significant fouling, with a 35% drop in flux during first 30 min of the filtration cycle. The flux drop for the 50- and 100-kDa membranes was in the low range of 3%. The optimal MWCO interval of 20- to 50-kDa in combination with flocculation/PAC pretreatment gave a significant reduction in organic content with minimal membrane fouling. Detailed GC–MS analysis showed that the combined treatment gave very efficient retention of organic compounds with molecular weights below 800 Da, with the consequent absence of harmful compounds in the tertiary effluent. It was therefore concluded that the recommended flocculation/adsorption protocol constitutes an effective pretreatment for UF and that the obtained tertiary effluent can be used for unrestricted irrigation.     

In‐line Flocculation‐Submersed MF/UF Membrane Hybrid System in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Coagulation/flocculation pre‐treatment of feeds can successfully mitigate the drawbacks of membrane micro‐ and ultra filtration processes: fouling and limited ability to remove organic pollutants. Laboratory experiments conducted with a synthetic wastewater (representing biologically treated secondary effluent) using 0.1 µm pore size hollow fiber membrane showed that simple in‐line flocculation pre‐treatment with inorganic coagulants dramatically reduced membrane fouling rates. The hybrid system also ensured over 70% organic matter removal in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In the experiments in in‐line flocculation outperformed clarification pre‐treatment at optimum coagulant dosages. Differences in floc characteristics and elevated suspended solids concentrations in the membrane tank may explain this finding, but the exact causes were not investigated in this study. The beneficial effects of in‐line flocculation pre‐treatment to MF/UF separation were also confirmed in the treatment of septic tank effluent in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The fouling rate of the 0.4 µm pore size (flat‐sheet) membrane was substantially reduced with 10–100 mg L^?1 ferric chloride coagulant doses, and total dissolved chemical oxygen demand (DCOD) removal also increased from 66% up to 93%. These findings are consistent with the results of other experimental studies and show that pre‐treatment controls submersed MF/UF filtration performance.     

不同预处理方式对超滤膜深度处理印染废水效能影响的研究

以印染废水处理站的二级出水为原水,考察了不同预处理方式(砂滤、微絮凝、微絮凝直接过滤)对超滤膜性能及其去除印染废水中污染物的影响。结果表明,砂滤随着运行时间的延长造成膜的不可逆污染,微絮凝可缓解膜污染,微絮凝直接过滤对膜污染在微絮凝基础上有所改善;不同预处理方式均能保证出水浊度小于0.1NTU;微絮凝直接过滤预处理工艺对CODCr去除率接近70%,微絮凝直接过滤处理方法能有效缓解膜污染,对浊度和有机物的去除效果较好,是较有优势的预处理工艺。     

Effect of slow sand filtration of treated wastewater as pre-treatment to UF

Ultrafiltration (UF) of treated municipal wastewater has been used to produce high-quality reuse water for different applications. However, without pre-treatment, secondary treated wastewater effluent shows high fouling potential and reduces the performance of UF membrane filtration significantly. To remove foulants prior to UF, slow sand filtration (SSF) was investigated in the present work. Two pilot-scale slow sand filters were operated in tandem with UF. The performance of the UF plant was improved to a large extent by delivering slow sand filtrate compared to direct secondary effluent filtration. Removal of common organic fouling indicators (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and biopolymers) by SSF was significantly higher at 0.25 m/h versus 0.5 m/h filter loading rate. Results of a comparative analysis of SSF effluent characteristics and UF performance showed that the biopolymer content detected by size exclusion chromatography displayed a good correlation with the filterability of corresponding water sample by UF, while photo-metrically detected proteins and polysaccharides did not present any relationship with UF performance.     

Effect and mechanism of ultrafiltration membrane fouling removal by ozonation

This study is aimed using ozonation to remove the fouling that occurs on ultrafiltration membranes. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was utilized for the membrane material. The tertiary effluent from industrial park wastewater plant was treated by an ultrafiltration membrane process. A bench-scale system was performed to evaluate the efficiency of fouling removed by an ozonation process. The results should be a valuable reference encouraging the recovery of tertiary effluent by the membrane process. The ozonation process was done via the direct continuous dosing of ozone into the influent. The ozone gas mass flow rate was 8.79 mg/min; the residual ozone concentration in the influent flow was maintained at about 4.02 mg/L throughout the test. It was demonstrated that without ozonation the permeate flux dropped to 60% after 1 h, but that with ozonation it could be maintained at 90% through the test. The SEM observations showed that much fouling that had clogged the membrane was effectively removed by ozonation. The mechanism of fouling removed was also illuminated by the IR analysis. It was observed that the ozone could oxidize and destroy the organic fouling, and the cross flow could flush away any loose fragments on the filtration cake.     

An advanced treatment of high-strength opium alkaloid processing industry wastewaters with membrane technology: pretreatment, fouling and retention characteristics of membranes

This paper presents the results of the laboratory and pilot-scale membrane experiments of opium alkaloid processing industry effluents. Different types of ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were evaluated for membrane fouling, permeate flux and their suitability in separating COD, color and conductivity. Experiments demonstrated that membrane treatment is a very promising advanced treatment option for pollution control for opium alkaloid processing industry effluents. Almost complete color removal was achieved with NF and RO membranes. COD and conductivity removals were also greater than 95% and met the current local standards. Nevertheless, pretreatment was an important factor for the NF and RO membrane applications. Membrane fouling occurred with direct NF membrane applications without UF pretreatment. The total estimated cost of the UF and NF treatment system was calculated as $0.96/m³, excluding the concentrate disposal cost.     

Membrane technology for advanced wastewater reclamation for sustainable agriculture production

Treated domestic secondary effluent is a valuable water source that can be reused for diverse purposes. However, in order to minimize health and environmental risks and to maintain adequate levels of sustainable agriculture production on a long range time scale, advanced treatment is required. Advanced effluent quality maintaining minimal risks can be primarily attained by implementing the membrane technology. Field experiments are in progress for secondary wastewater polishing for unrestricted reuse for sustainable agricultural production. The two stage membrane treatment system for the secondary effluent polishing consists of combining two main stages: ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane treatment. The UF stage is efficient in the removal of the organic matter and the pathogens while the RO provides the dissolved solids (salinity) removal. Effluent of various qualities is applied for irrigation along with continuous monitoring of the membrane components performance. The experimental data was obtained in the ongoing pilot studies carried out near the City of Arad (Israel) wastewater treatment system (the pilot plant performs in a feed and bleed operation mode). The results indicate the importance of maintaining high quality effluent for sustainable agriculture production. The management modeling gives an idea of the importance in maintaining adequate UF flushing policy in order to minimize expenses due to fouling.     

Membrane processes for water reuse from the effluent of industrial park wastewater treatment plant: a study on flux and fouling of membrane

Both the relationship between the flux and the fouling mechanism of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane and the effects of pretreatment before reverse osmosis (RO) process on the treatment of the effluent of industrial park wastewater treatment plant (IPWTP) were investigated to examine the application of membrane processes on the water reuse treatment. For the former, the flux data was first fitted to the Hermia model to give the implication of the fouling mechanism. Then, the fouling mechanism was further identified with the aid of the SEM morphology of membrane surfaces. For the latter, the changes of both water characteristics (turbidity, TOC, conductivity, particle size distribution, and organic solute molecular weight) and membrane properties (surface zeta potential and surface morphology) before and after the treatment of membrane processes were measured. It was found that the major blocking mechanisms of UF membrane process at initial and final stage were standard blocking of pore (causing from colloid materials) and cake blocking of pore (causing from suspended particles), respectively. On the other hand, it was concluded that the permeate from 1 μm/UF/RO process was suitable for the reuse of cooling water and low pressure boiler water.     

Effect of coagulant types on textile wastewater reclamation in a combined coagulation/ultrafiltration system

A combination of coagulation and ultrafiltration (UF) processes for textile wastewater reclamation was investigated using various types of coagulating chemicals such as polyamine, alum, polyaluminum chloride (PACl), and ferric salts. The potential of the combined system was evaluated to replace the existing treatment processes which are composed of a flotation tank (primary step) and a series of filtration beds including sands, granular carbons, and diatomaceous powders. Regardless of the type and dosage of the coagulants, the UF system achieved substantial colloidal particle removal (>97% of turbidity was removed), but membrane fouling was mitigated in a different manner. The degree of fouling reduction was highly dependent upon the type of coagulants used, even though the turbidity and organics removal efficiencies were nearly the same. The polymeric coagulant aggravated membrane fouling, whereas the inorganic coagulants always helped reduce fouling. A residue of the coagulating polymer, which was added in the primary step and its concentration in the effluent was at an immeasurable level, was found to cause serious membrane fouling. The use of polymeric coagulants should be prevented or minimized if UF is considered for textile wastewater reclamation. Polymerized aluminum was found to be the most effective among the coagulants tested, although ferric salt was better than alum in controlling fouling. In particular, it seemed that the characteristics of coagulation chemistry and the coagulated particles had a great impact upon membrane fouling.     

投加粉末活性炭对超滤膜去除海水中有机物的影响

超滤膜的有机污染问题是膜法海水预处理技术在海水淡化工程应用面临的重要挑战,粉末活性炭吸附是目前常用的膜前预处理手段之一。本文对比分析了直接超滤和投加粉末活性炭后对海水中有机物的截留能力,利用三维荧光光谱分析了投加粉末活性炭对超滤膜截留有机物的影响机制,并考察了海水超滤过程中通量变化及膜污染情况。研究结果表明,投加粉末活性炭能够强化超滤膜对海水浊度和有机物的去除,当粉末活性炭投量为200mg/L时,整个系统对海水中DOC去除率从直接超滤时的55.1%提高到77.6%。利用粉末活性炭的吸附作用及其在超滤膜表面形成的疏松滤饼层能够显著提高超滤系统对海水中腐植酸类有机物的去除能力。与直接超滤相比,粉末活性炭-超滤系统对改善膜通量的作用有限,但粉末活性炭形成的滤饼层能够避免超滤膜与有机物直接接触,可显著减缓超滤膜的不可逆污染。     

Role of coagulation in membrane filtration of wastewater for reuse

This study explains the role of coagulation in membrane filtration of wastewater for reuse. For this purpose, a coagulation-ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system was used to treat secondary effluent from a nearby wastewater treatment plant using a rotating biological contactor. The study proceeded with the hypothesis that coagulation could affect membrane filtration through two phenomena: change in particle characteristics and contaminant loading reduction. If fouling reduction were observed at a low alum dosage, coagulation would affect membrane performance by changing particle characteristics because contaminant reduction could not be possible at low dosage. If fouling reduction were observed only at a high alum dosage, the role of coagulation would be contaminant loading reduction. Results showed that both phenomena were important. Coagulation improved the membrane performance by changing particle characteristics at a low alum dosage. The improvement was achieved through both a change in particle characteristics and contaminant loading reduction at a high alum dosage. Particle size among various characteristics was found the most important for membrane fouling. Coagulation increased particle size, which led to a reduction of fouling. The beneficial effect from coagulation was observed at both fouling steps of pore blocking/adsorption and cake formation. Coagulation pretreatment was also beneficial for the improvement of the permeate quality in terms of organic matter.     

Application of ultrafiltration hybrid membrane processes for reuse of secondary effluent

This study evaluates the factors affecting pretreatment conditions for hybrid UF membrane processes for reuse of secondary effluent from the sewage treatment plant. The experimental results obtained from the ultrafiltration (UF) membrane process showed that the particles of the size range between 0.2 and 1.2 μm caused a significant impact on membrane fouling in all cases even with or without the coagulation process. As pretreatment of UF membrane process, the coagulation significantly improved the permeate flux. Optimal flux improvement was seen at an alum dose of 50 mg/L. In addition, it was found that the permeate flux was least declined under the coagulation condition of charge neutralization (pH 5.0). Also, the powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption enhanced the permeate flux. Application of the direct filtration as a pretreatment of UF membrane process was also very effective in reducing the UF membrane fouling.     

Feasibility study for reclamation of a secondary treated sewage effluent mainly from industrial sources using a dual membrane process

A feasibility study for reclamation of a secondary treated sewage effluent mainly from industrial sources (60%) in Singapore has been conducted using a dual membrane UF-RO process. The pilot system had a treatment capacity of 2 m³/h. The UF unit and RO unit were operated at 70–80% and 40% water recovery, respectively. Six-month run for the pilot was carried out to study the stability and fouling tendency of membranes.

The characteristics of the raw feed indicated that ammonia-N was consistently high at 30–50 mg/L. Very high fluctuations in iron (0.3–3.7 mg/L), turbidity (1–27.1 NTU) and TOC (3.2–56.7 mg/L) were observed. Nitrate was low at <0.2 mg/L. The results of the study showed that dosage of alum in the UF process significantly reduced organic foulants and phosphate scalants. The polymeric RO membrane could tolerate organics from industrial wastewater and performed >96% salt rejection at the end of the study after 6 months. The study concluded the dual membrane process was capable of reclaiming the sewage effluent mainly from industrial sources for industrial use.     

氧化预处理延缓超滤膜污染试验研究

分析了膜前氧化对超滤膜污染规律和水中有机组分构成的影响,并对延缓膜污染的机理与方法进行探讨。结果表明,试验所用3种氧化剂KMnO4、高锰酸钾复合盐(PPC)、H2O2均能延缓膜污染进程,在投加量为1 mg.L-1条件下,预处理效果PPC>KMnO4>H2O2;KMnO4和PPC对UV254的去除效果优于溶解性有机物,表明2种氧化剂优先去除含有双键的疏水性有机物;通过研究氧化剂投加量对比紫外吸光度变化的影响,说明氧化作用使水中腐殖质类成分向非腐殖质类成分转化。     

截留分子质量和材质对浸没式超滤膜过滤性能的影响

针对截留分子质量和材质对浸没式超滤膜处理微污染地表水过滤性能的影响问题,研究了两者对膜去除水中颗粒物和有机污染物的特性及其对膜污染的影响。结果表明,随着膜截留分子质量的减小,超滤膜对浊度和各有机物指标的去除率逐渐升高,但超滤膜对溶解性有机物的去除率较低;不同材质的超滤膜对有机物的去除率存在差异。不同截留分子质量和材质的超滤膜过滤原水时的污染程度不同,截留分子质量较小的超滤膜污染程度较轻,但容易引起不可逆膜污染;聚砜(PS)膜抗污染的能力要强于聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)和聚氯乙烯(PVC)膜,在实际应用中应根据不同水质特点合理选择超滤膜的截留分子质量和材质。     

Interaction mechanisms associated with organic colloid fouling of ultrafiltration membrane in a drinking water treatment system

The Extended Derjaguin Landau Verwey Overbeek (XDLVO) approach was introduced to predict organic colloid fouling of membranes in an initial ultrafiltration (UF) phase. Two polymeric UF membranes, made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) respectively, were selected to investigate membrane fouling by filtering water samples with different organic colloid compositions. The experiment was performed to determine the fouling contributions of van der Waals (LW) interactions, electrostatic (EL) interactions, as well as double layer and short-range acid–base (AB) interactions, to the total interaction energy caused by organic colloids attaching to UF membrane surfaces. The results showed that LW interaction energy predominated when the distance between the membrane surface and organic colloid was > 5 nm, while AB accounted for a key contribution to total interaction energy over short distances (< 2.5 nm). The influence of EL interaction energy was ignored in the total interaction energy composition. The surface energy, among all characteristics of membrane material, was a dominant factor affecting membrane fouling. The experimental results of initial ultrafiltration of raw water from the actual water source were in accordance with the predictions based on XDLVO theory, indicating that it was a feasible option for predicting membrane fouling during the initial ultrafiltration phase.     

Irreversible Fouling in MF/UF Membranes Caused by Natural Organic Matters (NOMs) Isolated from Different Origins

Abstract

For more efficient use of membrane technology in water treatment, it is essential to understand more about the fouling that requires chemical cleaning to be eliminated (i.e., irreversible fouling). In this study, five different MF/UF membranes and four types of organic matter collected from different origins were examined in terms of the degree of irreversible membrane fouling. Experimental results demonstrated that the extent of irreversible fouling differed significantly depending on the properties of both the membrane and organic matter. Among the tested membranes, UF membranes made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) exhibited the best performance in terms of prevention of irreversible fouling. In contrast, MF membranes, especially one made of polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), suffered significant irreversible fouling. Conventional methods for characterization of organic matter such as specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA), XAD fractionation, and excitation‐emission matrix (EEM) were found to be inadequate for prediction of the degree of irreversible fouling. This is because these analytical methods represent an average property of bulk organic matter, while the fouling was actually caused by some specific fractions. It was revealed that hydrophilic fraction of the organic matter was responsible for the irreversible fouling regardless of the type of membranes or organic matter.     

A comparative study of tertiary membrane filtration of industrial wastewater treated in a granular and a flocculent sludge SBR

Membrane fouling has been identified by many researchers as an inconvenience for the industrial application of membranes in wastewater treatment plants. Membrane fouling decreases permeability and therefore permeates flow, increasing costs. Although fouling is the result of complex phenomena not completely known, it can be said that fouling takes place by the presence of three different kinds of compounds in the water: suspended solids, colloids and solutes. In this sense, the characteristics of the suspended solid aggregates might be an important aspect in order to diminish the impact of suspended solids on membrane fouling. The main objective of this study was to compare the operation of two similar tertiary membrane filtration units treating the effluent of two different SBRs, respectively: A granular sludge SBR (GSBR) and a membrane flocculent sludge SBR system, at laboratory scale. Two PVDF microfiltration membrane modules were used for tertiary filtration of the effluent treated in the SBRs. Both reactors were used for treating the wastewater generated in a factory of the fish freezing sector. COD of the wastewater was between 700 and 1100 mg/L, total nitrogen concentration was between 110 and 180 mg N/L and total phosphorus ranged around 110 mg P/L. The chemical characteristics of both permeates were similar. Moreover, the presence of either granules or flocs in the tertiary membrane filtration systems did not have an appreciable impact on the membrane filtration. Nevertheless, it was observed that the operation of the membrane on the flocculent system tends to be more instable, showing a major tendency to achieve critical flux.     

Threshold flux measurement of an ultrafiltration membrane module in the treatment of two-phase olive mill wastewater

The critical and threshold flux theories represent an important advance in membrane knowledge. Comprehension of the flux behavior of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is key to control the fouling issues during the steady operation of the plant. In this regard, differing between critical or threshold flux patterns in the treatment of wastewater effluents by UF is relevant to confirm the level of fouling expected and to verify if no fouling is predictable or if certain amount of fouling cannot be avoided. In the present study, the hydrodynamic behavior of a polymeric UF membrane was analyzed by means of both critical and threshold flux theories and diverse patterns were found depending on the feedstock pollutants concentration and particle size distribution. Results obtained from the pressure-cycling experiments point for a threshold flux pattern in the case of UF of the effluent derived from the extraction process (OMW) disregarding the applied pretreatment, whereas for 1:1 (v/v) mixture of the latter with the wastewater from the fruit washing (OWW) the membrane fits a critical flux trend, indistinctly of the performed pretreatment too, with negligible fouling below the critical conditions. These conclusions are supported by the experimental permeate flux profiles during batch-run operation experiments.     

BPAC-UF组合工艺对微污染原水处理效果及膜污染控制

采用生物粉末活性炭-超滤(BPAC-UF)分体式工艺的中试装置,探究该工艺对西氿微污染原水的处理效果,在此基础上对比研究聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)和聚氯乙烯(PVC)两种材质超滤膜的膜污染情况。PVDF膜和PVC膜两种不同材质的膜组合工艺对浊度去除率均超过95%,超滤膜可保证出水浊度要求。PVDF膜对尺寸不超过2μm的颗粒物去除效果要略优于PVC膜。初期PAC未转化为BPAC时,工艺对氨氮和CODMn的去除主要靠活性炭吸附。当PAC转化为BPAC,BPAC-UF对氨氮的去除主要是通过生物作用,后期去除率稳定在80%以上,BPAC-UF对CODMn去除率不高,稳定在25%左右。在膜污染控制方面,PVDF膜和PVC膜的跨膜压差增长趋势相似,但PVC膜的跨膜压差增速要略高于PVDF膜。经过强化物理反冲洗和化学反冲洗后,PVDF膜和PVC膜的产水性能均能恢复至较优状态,且PVDF膜恢复程度略优于PVC膜。