Biofouling of polyamide membranes is one of the main barriers faced by reverse osmosis (RO) technologies to supply fresh water. Currently, biofouling is addressed by feed water pretreatment using chlorine, followed by membrane cleaning. Chlorine damages polyamide membranes and also generates harmful disinfection byproducts. Thus, safer strategies are needed to prevent biofouling in polyamide membrane systems. This review investigates the applicability of the following non-oxidizing biocides in preventing and controlling biofouling in RO systems, including their antimicrobial efficiency, hazard levels, membrane compatibility, and applicability to drinking water treatment: (1) 2,2-dibromo-3-nitropropionamide (DBNPA); (2) 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (MIT); (3) sodium bisulfite (SBS), (4) phenoxyethanol (PE), (5) sodium benzoate (SB). According to this review, MIT and DBNPA present most of the features attributed to an ideal anti-biofouling chemical but also are the most hazardous biocides. Due to safety and efficacy, none of the five chemicals were determined to be the final solution to address membrane biofouling. However, alternative RO biocide research is in early development and requires further investigation via biofouling prevention studies. Therefore, future research efforts on the investigation of economic, eco-friendly, and safe antifouling agents to prevent and treat biofouling in RO systems are paramount to promote sustainable water supply in water-stressed countries.

Biofouling is one of the most challenging obstacles faced by reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems to supply potable water. Currently, biofouling is imperfectly handled by RO feed water pre-chlorination, which is associated with the production of carcinogenic disinfection by-products. To propose a safer alternative to control biofouling in RO drinking water applications, this study investigates the efficacy of five biocides to prevent and remove Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms from RO membranes: (1) 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (MIT); (2) 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide (DBNPA); (3) sodium bisulfite (SBS); (4) sodium benzoate (SB), and (5) ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE). Experiments were conducted on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Biofilm Reactor (CBR) with biocidal dosing estimated on 96-well microtiter plates. Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CLSM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the biocides' anti-biofilm efficacies under dynamic conditions relative to minimum biofilm inhibitory and eradication concentrations. The results in this study indicated that LAE presented the best anti-biofilm efficacies in treating P. aeruginosa biofilms when compared to all studied biocides; it not only prevented biofilm formation (>98%) but also it effectively removed pre-established biofilms (>99%) from RO membrane coupons. Therefore, due to safety and efficacy, LAE is an excellent candidate for controlling biofouling in drinking water RO membrane systems.