Analysis of filtration characteristics in submerged microfiltration for drinking water treatment

Hollow fiber membranes have been widely employed for water and wastewater treatments. Nevertheless, understanding the filtration characteristics of hollow fiber membranes is complicated by the axial distributions of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and flux, which are key factors for both fouling control and module design. In this study, model equations to account for different fouling mechanisms were derived to analyze the performance of submerged hollow fiber systems with different conditions in terms of feed water characteristics and membrane material. A series of experiments with synthetic feed and raw water were carried out using hydrophilic and hydrophobic membrane modules. The model successfully fits the experimental results for synthetic feed as well as raw water. The major fouling mechanisms for filtration of raw water using hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes are identified as cake formation and standard blocking, respectively. The model calculations indicate that the distributions of flux and cake (fouling) resistance are sensitive to the fiber length of the membrane.     

Modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride) ultrafiltration membranes with poly(vinyl alcohol) for fouling control in drinking water treatment

A commercial poly(vinylidene fluoride) flat sheet membrane was modified by surface coating with a dilute poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) aqueous solution followed by solid-vapor interfacial crosslinking. The resulting PVA layer increased membrane smoothness and hydrophilicity and resulted in comparable pure water permeation between the modified and unmodified membranes. Fouling tests using a 5 mg/L protein solution showed that a short period of coating and crosslinking improved the anti-fouling performance. After 18 h ultrafiltration of a surface water with a TOC of approximately 7 mg C/L, the flux of the modified membrane was twice as high as that of the unmodified membrane. The improved fouling resistance of the modified membrane was related to the membrane physiochemical properties, which were confirmed by pure water permeation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle, zeta potential and roughness measurements.     

Removal of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in drinking water treatment: a pilot-scale study

Giardia and Cryptosporidium have emerged as waterborne pathogens of concern for public health. The aim of this study is to examine both parasites in the water samples taken from three pilot-scale plant processes located in southern Taiwan, to upgrade the current facilities. Three processes include: conventional process without prechlorination (Process 1), conventional process plus ozonation and pellet softening (Process 2), and integrated membrane process (MF plus NF) followed conventional process (Process 3). The detection methods of both parasites are modified from USEPA Methods 1622 and 1623. Results indicated that coagulation, sedimentation and filtration removed the most percentage of both protozoan parasites. The pre-ozonation step can destruct both parasites, especially for Giardia cysts. The microfiltration systems can intercept Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts completely. A significant correlation between water turbidity and Cryptosporidium oocysts was found in this study. The similar results were also found between three kinds of particles (phi=3-5,5-8 and 8-10 microm) and Cryptosporidium oocysts.     

Removal of nitrogen, phosphorus and COD from waste water using sand filtration system with Phragmites Australis

The removal efficiencies of nitrogen, phosphorus and COD from waste water were examined using sand filtration systems with Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex. Steudel. The quality of effluent waters from the system with plant were far better than those from the one without plant, implying Phragmites could incorporate nitrogen and phosphorus into its tissues and promote phosphorus absorption onto the sand by the release of oxygen from the roots. The P-pot provided with the influent containing 198 mg l^- of total nitrogen and 21 mg l^-1 of total phosphorus had the highest biomass of Phragmites. Harvestable above-ground biomass accounted for about 3.5 kg m^-2 and removable nitrogen and phosphorus accounted for 69 and 6 g m^-2 respectively.The removal rates of total nitrogen and phosphorus in the system with Phragmites receiving variable amounts of COD were almost at the same level and also much better than those of the systems without plant, implying that the different COD concentrations in the influent media do not impair the removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus. Also Phragmites was found to resist COD concentration as high as 128 mg l^-1, and signs of clogging were not detected in this system throughout the experiment.     

Identifying fouling events in a membrane-based drinking water treatment process using principal component analysis of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices

The identification of key foulants and the provision of early warning of high fouling events for drinking water treatment membrane processes is crucial for the development of effective countermeasures to membrane fouling, such as pretreatment. Principal foulants include organic, colloidal and particulate matter present in the membrane feed water. In this research, principal component analysis (PCA) of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) was identified as a viable tool for monitoring the performance of pre-treatment stages (in this case biological filtration), as well as ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems. In addition, fluorescence EEM-based principal component (PC) score plots, generated using the fluorescence EEMs obtained after just 1 hour of UF or NF operation, could be related to high fouling events likely caused by elevated levels of particulate/colloid-like material in the biofilter effluents. The fluorescence EEM-based PCA approach presented here is sensitive enough to be used at low organic carbon levels and has potential as an early detection method to identify high fouling events, allowing appropriate operational countermeasures to be taken.     

The formation of trichloronitromethane (chloropicrin) and chloroform in a combined ozonation/chlorination treatment of drinking water

Chlorination of waters from mesotrophic Lake Zurich and eutrophic Greifensee formed about 0.4 and 2 μg 1⁻¹ of trichloronitromethane (TCNM) respectively. Pre-ozonation increased these values to about 2 and 6 μg 1⁻¹. The formation of chloroform was about 40 times higher than that of TCNM, but decreased somewhat, when pretreatment with ozone was performed. Posttreatment with activated carbon eliminates most TCNM but only part of the chloroform. The addition of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexing agents applied in detergents and other products, had only a small incremental effect on the formation of chloropicrin, which became significant only when the combined oxidation process was performed in distilled water. In contrast, the addition of triethanolamine to water greatly increased the TCNM formation when ozonation preceded chlorination of water. The possible role of NTA as a presursor for TCNM is further discussed by considering the kinetics of the reaction of ozone with NTA and its ozonolytic products, the iminodiacetic acid and glycine.     

Comparison of the filtration characteristics of organic and inorganic membranes in a membrane-coupled anaerobic bioreactor

Comparison of filtration characteristics of organic and inorganic membranes was made in terms of physicochemical properties of the membrane materials, cake layer formation, backflushing and backfeeding effects in a membrane-coupled anaerobic bioreactor. For the inorganic membrane, struvite (MgNH4PO4 x 6H2O) was found to have accumulated inside the membrane pore and plays a key role in flux decline. For the organic, however, a thick cake layer composed of biomass and struvite formed on the membrane surface, thus causing a major hydraulic resistance. In order to mitigate flux decline for both membranes, backflushing and backfeeding modes were examined. With acidic (pH 2.0) backflushing, the flux was approximately doubled for the organic membrane. However, unexpectedly a negative effect was observed for the inorganic membrane. An alkaline backflushing instead of acidic backflushing gave rise to a flux improvement by a factor of two without any negative effect, even for the inorganic membrane. The backfeeding mode gave rise to a much higher flux compared with the normal mode in both types of membrane, although the flux returned to the same level as that with the normal mode after 6 days for the inorganic membrane. The differences between the two types of membranes were explained by membrane morphology, a ligand exchange reaction as well as a surface charge effect.     

Effect of medium-pressure UV irradiation on bromate concentrations in drinking water, a pilot-scale study

This study investigated the potential for bromate removal from drinking water on irradiation with medium-pressure UV lamps-a technique gaining considerable interest for drinking water disinfection. Waters from two different sources were spiked with 20microg/L of bromate and irradiated with UV fluences up to 718mJ/cm(2) utilizing a pilot-scale reactor (Calgon Carbon Corp.) at a flow of 76L/min (20 gallon/min). Essentially no removal was observed in one of the source waters. Limited bromate removal, up to 19%, was observed in the second source water at high UV fluences (696mJ/cm(2)) and a fluence-response relationship was clearly evident. All removals would be negligible at UV fluences anticipated for drinking water disinfection (< or =40mJ/cm(2)). Different water characteristics, in particular competitive absorption by nitrate and possibly DOC, were most likely responsible for the differences in bromate removal in the waters tested. The source water that did not show any removal had a higher nitrate concentration (4 vs. 0.1mg N/L) and also a higher DOC concentration (4.1 vs. 3.1mg C/L) than the other source water which showed 19% bromate removal.     

Morphological and physicochemical characteristics of iron corrosion scales formed under different water source histories in a drinking water distribution system

The corrosion scales on iron pipes could have great impact on the water quality in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Unstable and less protective corrosion scale is one of the main factors causing “discolored water” issues when quality of water entering into distribution system changed significantly. The morphological and physicochemical characteristics of corrosion scales formed under different source water histories in duration of about two decades were systematically investigated in this work. Thick corrosion scales or densely distributed corrosion tubercles were mostly found in pipes transporting surface water, but thin corrosion scales and hollow tubercles were mostly discovered in pipes transporting groundwater. Magnetite and goethite were main constituents of iron corrosion products, but the mass ratio of magnetite/goethite (M/G) was significantly different depending on the corrosion scale structure and water source conditions. Thick corrosion scales and hard shell of tubercles had much higher M/G ratio (>1.0), while the thin corrosion scales had no magnetite detected or with much lower M/G ratio. The M/G ratio could be used to identify the characteristics and evaluate the performances of corrosion scales formed under different water conditions. Compared with the pipes transporting ground water, the pipes transporting surface water were more seriously corroded and could be in a relatively more active corrosion status all the time, which was implicated by relatively higher siderite, green rust and total iron contents in their corrosion scales. Higher content of unstable ferric components such as γ-FeOOH, β-FeOOH and amorphous iron oxide existed in corrosion scales of pipes receiving groundwater which was less corroded. Corrosion scales on groundwater pipes with low magnetite content had higher surface area and thus possibly higher sorption capacity. The primary trace inorganic elements in corrosion products were Br and heavy metals. Corrosion products obtained from pipes transporting groundwater had higher levels of Br, Ti, Ba, Cu, Sr, V, Cr, La, Pb and As.     

Detection of enteric viruses, Giardia and Cryptosporidium in two different types of drinking water treatment facilities

In this study, two types of drinking water treatment facilities (two conventional drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and two compact units (Cus)) were compared referring to their production capacity. Water samples were collected from three main points: (a) different water treatment steps (b) washings of sand filters and (c) distribution system at different distances from the water treatment plants. Both viruses and protozoa were concentrated from each water sample by adsorption and accumulation on the same nitrocellulose membrane filters (0.45 microm pore size). Enteroviruses were detected by plaque infectivity assay in BGM cells and HAV, HEV and Norovirus were detected by RT-PCR. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected by conventional staining methods and PCR. The results revealed that enterovirus load at the intake ranged between 10-15 PFU/L for the two compact units and between 4.5 and 75 PFU/L for the two conventional DWTPs. The virus load in distribution system of the first type DWTPs at 1 km from the plant was the same as that of the intake. Viruses in the other type of treatment plants CUs at 1, 5 and 7 km, were much reduced. Investigation of raw water sediments of the two DWTPs showed enterovirus counts between 12 and 17.5 PFU/L. Virus count was reduced in sand of filters after washing. Giardia cysts were equally detected by microscopy and PCR in only intake samples of EL-Hawamdia CU (33.3%) and Meet Fares DWTP (50%). Cryptosporidium oocysts were equally detected by microscopy and PCR in intake samples of Abo EL-Nomros CU (100%), EL-Hawamdia CU (66.7%) and Fowa DWTP (50%). At Meet Fares DWTP three positive intake samples for Cryptosporidium were detected by PCR, compared with only two positive samples by microscopy. Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in raw water sediment and sand of filters before washing. Only one sample from Meet Fares DWTP sand of filters after washing was positive for both Giardia and Cryptosporidium. It can be concluded that the poor microbial quality of the water may be due to improper operational skills and management of the various water treatment plants (especially at the two high capacity treatment plants).     

Mn oxide coated catalytic membranes for a hybrid ozonation-membrane filtration: Comparison of Ti, Fe and Mn oxide coated membranes for water quality

In this study the performance of catalytic membranes in a hybrid ozonation-ceramic membrane filtration system was investigated. The catalytic membranes were produced by coating commercial ceramic ultrafiltration membranes with manganese or iron oxide nanoparticles using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. A commercial membrane with a titanium oxide filtration layer was also evaluated. The performance of the coated and uncoated membranes was evaluated using water from a borderline eutrophic lake. The permeate flux and removal of the organic matter was found to depend on the type of the metal oxide present on the membrane surface. The performance of the manganese oxide coated membrane was superior to that of the other membranes tested, showing the fastest recovery in permeate flux when ozone was applied and the greatest reduction in the total organic carbon (TOC) in the permeate. The removal of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) precursors using the membrane coated 20 times with manganese oxide nanoparticles was significantly better than that for the membranes coated with 30 or 40 times with manganese oxide nanoparticles or 40 times with iron oxide nanoparticles.     

Survival of Escherichia coli in two sewage treatment plants using UV irradiation and chlorination for disinfection

We investigated the survival of Escherichia coli in two STPs utilising UV irradiation (STP-A) or chlorination (STP-B) for disinfection. In all, 370 E. coli strains isolated from raw influent sewage (IS), secondary treated effluent (STE) and effluent after the disinfection processes of both STPs were typed using a high resolution biochemical fingerprinting method and were grouped into common (C-) and single (S-) biochemical phenotypes (BPTs). In STP-A, 83 BPTs comprising 123 isolates were found in IS and STE, of which 7 BPTs survived UV irradiation. Isolates tested from the same sites of STP-B (n = 220) comprised 122 BPTs, however, only two BPTs were found post-chlorination. A representative isolate from each BPT from both STPs was tested for the presence of 11 virulence genes (VGs) associated with uropathogenic (UPEC) or intestinal pathogenic (IPEC) E. coli strains. Strains surviving UV irradiation were distributed among seven phylogenetic groups with five BPTs carrying VGs associated with either UPEC (4 BPTs) or IPEC (1 BPT). In contrast, E. coli strains found in STP-B carried no VGs. Strains from both STPs were resistant to up to 12 out of the 21 antibiotics tested but there was no significant difference between the numbers of antibiotics to which surviving strains were resistant to in these STPs. Our data suggests that some E. coli strains have a better ability to survive STPs utilising chlorination and UV irradiation for disinfection. However, strains that survive UV irradiation are more diverse and may carry more VGs than those surviving SPTs using chlorination.     

Removal of individual off-flavour compounds in water during artificial groundwater recharge and during treatment by alum coagulation/sand filtration

The removal of individual off-flavour compounds during artificial groundwater recharge has been compared to the removal of such compounds during conventional alum coagulation/sand filtration. By using an evaluation technique based on gas chromatography with both instrumental and sensory detection (“column sniffing”) it was shown that alum coagulation/sand filtration had no significant effect on any of the off-flavour compounds that could be detected in the raw water samples (geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, 1-octen-3-one, 1-nonen-3-one, dimethyl trisulphide and a number of unidentified muddy or musty odours). During artificial groundwater recharge in sand and gravel ridges, however, the concentrations of all these compounds were substantially reduced, thus proving that artificial groundwater recharge is not only a suitable method for water storage but can also be an effective method for removing muddy and musty odours. The successful use of the column-sniffing technique for evaluating water treatment methods has shown the potential of this technique in resolving some of the present disagreements concerning the effectiveness of different treatment methods for removing tastes and odours from water.     

Cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of drinking water: a comparison between two different concentration methods

The level of exposure to hazardous compounds through drinking water is low but it is maintained throughout life, therefore representing a risk factor for human health. The use of techniques averaging the consumer's exposure over time could be more useful than relying on intermittent grab samples that may misrepresent average tap water concentrations due to short-term temporal variability. In this study, we compared the induction of in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic effects (DNA damage by the comet assay) in relation to different sampling methods, i.e. exposure over time (semipermeable membrane devices, SPMDs, exposed for 30 days) or intermittent grab samples (5 weekly water sampling, C18 concentration). Waters with different chemical characteristics were sampled to test the sensitivity of the two methods. We did not found any positive correlation between the biological findings and water chemical parameters. SPMD extracts induced a significantly greater DNA damage than C18. The different behaviour was specially found for the water samples with a low level of organic compounds and when C18 extracts were highly cytotoxic. Our findings suggest that SPMD could be of a great interest in assessing genotoxic contaminants in both raw and drinking water, with great suitability for continuous monitoring. Furthermore, the results of this study have confirmed the great importance of the biological assays in evaluating the effects of a complex mixture such as water in addition to the conventional chemical examination of water quality.     

Treatment of arsenic in Bangladesh well water using a household co-precipitation and filtration system

Laboratory and field tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a household filtration process and investigate the effects of phosphate and silicate on the removal of arsenic from Bangladesh groundwater by ferric hydroxides. Fe/As ratios of greater than 40 (mg/mg) were required to reduce arsenic to less than 50 microg/L in Bangladesh well water due to the presence of elevated phosphate and silicate concentrations. The household filtration process included co-precipitation of arsenic by adding a packet (approximately 2 g) of ferric and hypochlorite salts to 20 L of well water and subsequent filtration of the water through a bucket sand filter. A field demonstration study was performed to test the treatment system in seven households in Bangladesh in March and April 2000. Experimental results obtained from the participating families proved that the household treatment process removed arsenic from approximately 300 microg/L in the well water to less than 50 microg/L. The participating families liked this simple and affordable process and used it to prepare clean water for drinking and cooking. A larger scale field test is currently underway.     

Disinfection by-product formation following chlorination of drinking water: Artificial neural network models and changes in speciation with treatment

Artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed to predict disinfection by-product (DBP) formation during municipal drinking water treatment using the Information Collection Rule Treatment Studies database complied by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The formation of trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), and total organic halide (TOX) upon chlorination of untreated water, and after conventional treatment, granular activated carbon treatment, and nanofiltration were quantified using ANNs. Highly accurate predictions of DBP concentrations were possible using physically meaningful water quality parameters as ANN inputs including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm and one cm path length (UV₂₅₄), bromide ion concentration (Br⁻), chlorine dose, chlorination pH, contact time, and reaction temperature. This highlights the ability of ANNs to closely capture the highly complex and non-linear relationships underlying DBP formation. Accurate simulations suggest the potential use of ANNs for process control and optimization, comparison of treatment alternatives for DBP control prior to piloting, and even to reduce the number of experiments to evaluate water quality variations when operating conditions are changed. Changes in THM and HAA speciation and bromine substitution patterns following treatment are also discussed.     

Occurrence of aromatic amines and N-nitrosamines in the different steps of a drinking water treatment plant

The occurrence of 24 amines within a full scale drinking water treatment plant that used chlorinated agents as disinfectants was evaluated for the first time in this research. Prior to any treatment (raw water), aniline, 3-chloroaniline, 3,4-dichloroaniline and N-nitrosodimethylamine were detected at low levels (up to 18 ng/L) but their concentration increased ∼10 times after chloramination while 9 new amines were produced (4 aromatic amines and 5 N-nitrosamines). Within subsequent treatments, there were no significant changes in the amine levels, although the concentrations of 2-nitroaniline, N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosodiethylamine increased slightly within the distribution system. Eleven of the 24 amines studied were undetected either in the raw and in the treatment plant samples analysed. There is an important difference in the behaviour of the aromatic amines and N-nitrosamines with respect to water temperature and rainfall events. Amine concentrations were higher in winter due to low water temperatures, this effect being more noticeable for N-nitrosamines. Aromatic amines were detected at their highest concentrations (especially 3,4-dichloroaniline and 2-nitroaniline) in treated water after rainfall events. These results may be explained by the increase in the levels of amine precursors (pesticides and their degradation products) in raw water since the rainfall facilitated the transport of these compounds from soil which was previously contaminated as a result of intensive agricultural practices.     

Decomposition of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene in drinking water by a combined radiation/ozone treatment

The decomposition of small amounts (100 ppb) of tri- or perchloroethylene in drinking water has been investigated. The combined action of γ-radiation and ozone results in a considerable synergistic effect. Furthermore, the presence of ozone eliminates completely the formation of nitrite occurring under γ-irradiation alone.     

Distribution of Asellus aquaticus and microinvertebrates in a non-chlorinated drinking water supply system--effects of pipe material and sedimentation

Danish drinking water supplies based on ground water without chlorination were investigated for the presence of the water louse, Asellus aquaticus, microinvertebrates (<2 mm) and annelida. In total, 52 water samples were collected from fire hydrants at 31 locations, and two elevated tanks (6000 and 36,000 m³) as well as one clean water tank at a waterworks (700 m³) were inspected. Several types of invertebrates from the phyla: arthropoda, annelida (worms), plathyhelminthes (flatworms) and mollusca (snails) were found. Invertebrates were found at 94% of the sampling sites in the piped system with A. aquaticus present at 55% of the sampling sites. Populations of A. aquaticus were present in the two investigated elevated tanks but not in the clean water tank at a waterworks. Both adult and juvenile A. aquaticus (length of 2-10 mm) were found in tanks as well as in pipes. A. aquaticus was found only in samples collected from two of seven investigated distribution zones (zone 1 and 2), each supplied directly by one of the two investigated elevated tanks containing A. aquaticus. Microinvertebrates were distributed throughout all zones. The distribution pattern of A. aquaticus had not changed considerably over 20 years when compared to data from samples collected in 1988-89. Centrifugal pumps have separated the distribution zones during the whole period and may have functioned as physical barriers in the distribution systems, preventing large invertebrates such as A. aquaticus to pass alive. Another factor characterising zone 1 and 2 was the presence of cast iron pipes. The frequency of A. aquaticus was significantly higher in cast iron pipes than in plastic pipes. A. aquaticus caught from plastic pipes were mainly single living specimens or dead specimens, which may have been transported passively trough by the water flow, while cast iron pipes provided an environment suitable for relatively large populations of A. aquaticus. Sediment volume for each sample was measured and our study described for the first time a clear connection between sediment volume and living A. aquaticus since living A. aquaticus were nearly only found in samples with sediment contents higher than 100 ml/m³ sample. Presence of A. aquaticus was not correlated to turbidity of the water. Measurements by ATP, heterotrophic plate counting and Colilert^® showed that the microbial quality of the water was high at all locations with or without animals. Four other large Danish drinking water supplies were additionally sampled (nine pipe samples and one elevated tank), and invertebrates were found in all systems, three of four containing A. aquaticus, indicating a nationwide occurrence.     

Association and decontamination of Bacillus spores in a simulated drinking water system

The objective of this work was to elucidate the disinfectant susceptibility of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BA) and a commercial preparation of Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) spores associated with a simulated drinking water system. Biofilms composed of indigenous water system bacteria were accumulated on copper and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe material surfaces in a low-flow pipe loop and uniformly mixed tank reactor (CDC biofilm reactor). Application of a distributed shear during spore contact resulted in approximately a 1.0 and 1.6 log₁₀ increase in the number of spores associated with copper and PVC surfaces, respectively. Decontamination of spores in both free suspension and after association with biofilm-conditioned pipe materials was attempted using free chlorine and monochloramine. Associated spores required 5- to 10-fold higher disinfectant concentrations to observe the same reduction of viable spores as in suspension. High disinfectant concentrations (103 mg/L free chlorine and 49 mg/L monochloramine) yielded less than a 2-log₁₀ reduction in viable associated spores after 60 min. Spores associated with biofilms on copper surfaces consistently yielded higher Ct values than PVC.