Abstract
In this study, we investigated the removal efficiencies of pollutants and permeate fluxes depending on chemistry of feed water, various molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs) and materials of membrane, operating pressure. We used seven MWCO membranes of YC0.5, YM1, YM3, YM10, YM30, YM100 and PM30, humic acid solution and surface water as feed water, and examined variation in permeate flux. Results of TOC removal experiment demonstrate that MWCO lower 1,000daltons could remove humic acid effectively. As increasing solution pH and decreasing divalent cations ($Ca^{2+}$) concentration, TOC removal increased. But $UV_{254}$ removal efficiency increased with higher divalent cation concentration and solution pH. Membrane fouling increased with increasing electrolyte (NaCl), divalent cation concentration and decreasing solution pH. In spite of initial permeate flux of the hydrophobic membrane (PM30) was higher than that of the hydrophilic membrane (YM30), flux decline of PM30 was significant during operation. At higher operating pressure, compactness of the cake layer on the membrane surface increased, resulting in gradual increase in hydraulic resistance.