• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제6권3호
• /
• pp.225-235
• /
• 2015

During low-pressure membrane treatments of cyanobacterial cells, including microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), there have reportedly been releases of intracellular compounds including cyanotoxins and compounds with an earthy-musty odor into the water, probably owing to cyanobacterial cell breakage retained on the membrane. However, to our knowledge, no information was reported regarding the effect of growth phase of cyanobacterial cells on the release of the intracellular compounds. In the present study, we used a geosmin-producing cyanobacterium, Anabaena smithii, to investigate the effect of the growth phase of the cyanobacterium on the release of intracellular geosmin during laboratory-scale MF experiments with the cells in either the logarithmic growth or stationary phase. Separate detection of damaged and intact cells revealed that the extent of cell breakage on the MF membrane was almost the same for logarithmic growth and stationary phase cells. However, whereas the geosmin concentration in the MF permeate increased after 3 h of filtration with cells in the logarithmic growth phase, it did not increase during filtration with cells in the stationary phase: the trend in the geosmin concentration in the MF permeate with time was much different between the logarithmic growth and stationary phases. Adsorption of geosmin to algogenic organic matter (AOM) retained on the MF membrane and/or pore blocking with the AOM were greater when the cells were in the stationary phase versus the logarithmic growth phase, the result being a decrease in the apparent release of intracellular geosmin from the stationary phase cells. In actual drinking water treatment plants employing membrane processes, more attention should be paid to the cyanobacterial cells in logarithmic growth phase than in stationary phase from a viewpoint of preventing the leakage of intracellular earthy-musty odor compounds to finished water.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제6권3호
• /
• pp.205-224
• /
• 2015

A novel hydrophilic poly (vinylidene fluoride)/poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PVDF/PPTA) blend membrane was prepared by in situ polycondensation of p-phenylene diamine (PPD) and terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) in PVDF solution with subsequent nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. For comparison, conventional solution blend membrane was prepared directly by adding PVDF powder into PPTA polycondensation solution. Blend membranes were characterized by means of viscometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The effects of different blending methods on membrane performance including water contact angle (WCA), mechanical strength, anti-fouling and anti-compression properties were investigated and compared. Stronger interactions between PVDF and PPTA in in situ blend membranes were verified by viscosity and XPS analysis. The incorporation of PPTA accelerated the demixing rate and caused the formation of a more porous structure in blend membranes. In situ blend membranes exhibited better hydrophilicity and higher tensile strength. The optimal values of WCA and tensile strength were $65^{\circ}$ and 34.1 MPa, which were reduced by 26.1% and increased by 26.3% compared with pure PVDF membrane. Additionally, antifouling properties of in situ blend membranes were greatly improved than pure PVDF membrane with an increasing of flux recovery ratio by 25%. Excellent anti-compression properties were obtained in in situ blend membranes with a stable pore morphology. The correlations among membrane formation mechanism, structure and performance were also discussed.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제3권1호
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2012

Carboxylated polysulfone (CPS), poly (1,4-phenylene ether ethersulfone) (PPEES), membranes were prepared and used for the separation of NaCl and $CaCl_2$, in efficient way with less energy consumption. In this work, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes were employed to the salt rejection behavior of the different salt solutions. The influence of applied pressure (1-12 bar), on the membrane performance was assessed. In CM series of membranes, $CM_1$ showed maximum of 97% water uptake and 36% water swelling, whereas, $CM_4$ showed 75% water uptake and 28% water swelling. In RCM series, $RCM_1$ showed 85% water uptake and 32% water swelling whereas, in $RCM_4$ it was 68% for water uptake and 20% for water swelling. Conclusively reverse osmosis membranes gave better rejection whereas nanofiltration membrane showed enhanced flux. CM1 showed 58% of rejection with 12 L/($m^2$ h) flux and $RCM_1$ showed 55% of rejection with 15 L/($m^2$ h) flux for 0.1 wt.% NaCl solution. Whereas, in 0.1 wt.% $CaCl_2$ solution, membrane $CM_1$ showed 78% of rejection with 12 L/($m^2$ h) flux and $RCM_1$ showed 63% rejection with flux of 9 L/($m^2$ h).

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.273-278
• /
• 2018

Due to the lack of water in arid and semi-arid areas, reuse of wastewater can be a suitable way to compensate for water scarcity. Therefore, in this research, evaluation of the quality of wastewater of Kashan Treatment Plant to use for irrigation was studied. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. pH, TSS, TDS, turbidity, COD, BOD5, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, Total Coliform, fecal coliform, nematode eggs of inlet and outlet of wastewater treatment plant in Kashan were studied. Mean and standard deviation and wastewater quality parameters before and after treatment were tested with SPSS 22 (2014) software. The mean wastewater output of COD, BOD5, TSS, TDS and turbidity were respectively 86.6, 41.2, 11.11, 1095 mgL-1 and 17.5 NTU and the pH was equal to 7.22. Also, the average of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and phosphorus were 22.4 and 2.2 mgL-1 respectively. The mean of Total Coliform and fecal coliform were 225, 161 MPN / 100 ml respectively. In addition, no nematode eggs were found in final effluent. The results indicated that the treatment plants had a significant role in the control of microbial and organic pollution load of wastewater. Also, it is concluded that all parameters were in accordance with the standards of Iran's Department of Environment, so, it can be used for unrestricted irrigation.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.211-220
• /
• 2018

Incorporating nano-materials in thin-film composite (TFC) membranes has been considered to be an approach to achieve higher membrane performance in various water treatment processes. This study investigated the rejection efficiency of three target compounds, i.e., reserpine, norfloxacin and tetracycline hydrochloride, by TFC membranes with different graphene oxide proportions. Graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated into the polyamide active layer of a TFC membrane via an interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction. The TFC membranes were characterized with FTIR, FE-SEM, AFM; in addition, the water contact angle measurements as well as the permeation and separation performance were evaluated. The prepared GO-TFC membranes exhibited a much higher flux ($3.11{\pm}0.04L/m2{\cdot}h{\cdot}bar$) than the pristine TFC membranes ($2.12{\pm}0.05L/m2{\cdot}h{\cdot}bar$) without sacrificing their foulant rejection abilities. At the same time, the GO-modified membrane appeared to be less sensitive to pH changes than the pure TFC membrane. A significant improvement in the anti-fouling property of the membrane was observed, which was ascribed to the favorable change in the membrane's hydrophilicity, surface morphology and surface charge through the addition of an appropriate amount of GO. This study predominantly improved the understanding of the different PA/GO membranes and outlined improved industrial applications of such membranes in the future.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.279-284
• /
• 2018

Membrane biofouling is a critical operational problem that hinders the rapid commercialization of MBRs. Quorum quenching (QQ) has been investigated widely to control membrane biofouling and is accepted as a promising anti-fouling strategy. Various QQ strategies based on bacterial and enzymatic agents have been identified and applied successfully. Whereas, this study aimed to compare indigenously isolated QQ strain i.e., Enterobacter cloaca with well reported Rhodococcus sp. BH4. Both bacterial species were immobilized in polymeric beads and introduced to two different MBRs keeping the overall beads to volume ratio as 1%. Efficiencies of these strains were monitored in terms of prolonging the membrane filtration cycle of MBR, release of extra-cellular polymeric substances, membrane resistivity measurements and mineralization of signal molecules and permeate quality. Indigenous strain (Enterobacter cloaca) was added to $QQ-MBR_E$ while Rhodococcus sp. BH4 was introduced to $QQ-MBR_R$. QQ bacterial embedded beads showed enhanced filtration cycles up to 1.4 and 2.3 times for $QQ-MBR_E$ and $QQ-MBR_R$ respectively as compared to control MBR (C-MBR). Soluble EPS concentration of 52 mg/L was observed in C-MBR while significantly lower EPS concentration of 20 and 10 mg/L was witnessed in $QQ-MBR_E$ and $QQ-MBR_R$, respectively. Therefore, substantial reduction in biofouling showed the effectiveness of indigenous strain.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.221-231
• /
• 2018

A new procedure to produce poly(vinylidene fluoride)/boron nitride hybrid membrane is presented for application in membrane distillation (MD) process. The influence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) incorporation on the performance of the polymeric membranes is studied through the present investigation. For this aim, h-BN nanopowders were successfully synthesized using the simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route and subsequent solvent treatments. The resulting h-BN nanosheets were blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution. Then, the prepared composite solution was subjected to phase inversion process to obtain PVDF/h-BN hybrid membranes. Various examinations such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wettability, permeation flux, mechanical strength and liquid entry pressure (LEP) measurements are performed to evaluate the prepared membrane. Moreover, Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) experiments were carried out to investigate the salt rejection performance and the durability of membranes. The results show that our hybrid PVDF/h-BN membrane presents higher water permeation flux (${\sim}18kg/m^2h$) compared to pristine PVDF membrane. In addition, the experimental data confirms that the prepared nanocomposite membrane is hydrophobic (water contact angle: ${\sim}103^{\circ}$), has a porous skin layer (>85%), as well competitive fouling resistance and operational durability. Furthermore, the total salt rejection efficiency was obtained for PVDF/h-BN membrane. The results prove that the novel PVDF/h-BN membrane can be easily synthesized and applied in MD process for salt rejection purposes.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2018

This study attempted to evaluate the process of self-forming dynamic membrane formation on mesh filter in membrane bioreactor with a two-stage method of batch (agitation) and continues (aeration) stage at different sludge concentrations. Four concentrations of activated sludge including $6{\pm}0.4$, $8{\pm}0.5$, $10{\pm}0.3$, $14{\pm}0.3g/L$ were used to demonstrate the optimal concentration of sludge for treating municipal wastewater and reducing fouling in dynamic membrane bioreactor. The formation time and effluent turbidity were decreased in the batch stage when increasing the activated sludge concentration. The minimum values of formation time and effluent turbidity were 14 min and 43 NTU for the optimum mixed liqueur suspended solids of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$, respectively. To improve operational condition and fouling reduction in the aeration stage, critical fluxes were measured for all concentrations by flux-step method. With increasing the sludge concentration, the relevant critical fluxes reduced. The optimum subcritical flux of $30L/m^2/h$ was applied as operating flux in the second stage. The maximum COD removal efficiency of 98% was achieved by the concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$. Compressibility index of self-forming dynamic membrane and transmembrane pressure trend remained somewhat constant until the optimal concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$ and thereafter they increased steeply.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제11권5호
• /
• pp.323-331
• /
• 2020

With the increasing demand on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for water purification worldwide, the number of disposed membrane elements is expected to increase accordingly. Thus, recycling and reuse of end-of-life RO membranes should be a global environmental action. In this work, we aim to reuse the spent RO membrane for nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) process by subjecting the spent membrane to solvent and oxidizing solution treatment, respectively. Our results showed that solvent-treated RO membrane could perform as good as commercial NF membrane by achieving similar separation efficiencies, but with reduced water permeability due to membrane surface fouling. By degrading the polyamide layer of RO membrane, the transformed membrane could achieve high water permeability (85.6 L/㎡.h.bar) and excellent rejection against macromolecules (at least 87.4%), suggesting its reuse potential as UF membrane. More importantly, our findings showed that in-situ transformation on the spent RO membrane using solvent and oxidizing solution could be safely conducted as the properties of the entire spiral wound element did not show significant changes upon prolonged exposure of these two solutions. Our findings are important to open up new possibilities for the discarded RO membranes for reuse in NF and UF process, prolonging the lifespan of spent membranes and promoting the sustainability of the membrane process.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• 제7권3호
• /
• pp.257-275
• /
• 2016

The enantiomeric and racemic effects of tartaric acid (TA) on the properties of polysulfone (PSn) ultrafiltration membranes were studied in terms of morphology and hydrophilicity (HPCT) of membrane. Asymmetric membranes were prepared by direct blending of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) with D-TA and DL-TA in membrane casting solution. FTIR analysis was done for the confirmation of the reaction of PVP and TA in blended membranes and plain PSn membranes. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for analyzing the morphology and structure of the resulting membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of pure water flux (PWF), hydraulic permeability and HPCT. PWF increased from $52L/m^2h$ to $79.9L/m^2h$ for plain and D-TA containing PSn membrane, respectively. Water contact angle also found to be decreased from $68^{\circ}$ to $55^{\circ}$. In Additionally, permeation and rejection behavior of prepared membranes was studied by bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution. A considerable increase in BSA flux (from $19.1L/m^2h$ for plain membrane to $32.1L/m^2h$ for D-TA containing membrane) was observed. FESEM images affirm that the pore size of the membranes decreases and the membrane permeability increases from 0.16 to 0.32 by the addition of D-TA in the membrane. D-TA increases the HPCT whereas; DL-TA decreases the HPCT of PSn membrane. PVP (average molecular weight of 40000 Da) with D-TA (1 wt%) gave best performance among all the membranes for each parameter.