Application of monochloramine for wastewater reuse: Effect on biostability during transport and biofouling in RO membranes

Farhat, Nadia; Loubineaud, E.; Prest, Emmanuelle I.; El-Chakhtoura, J.; Salles, Carlos Afonso; Bucs, Szilárd; Trampé, J.; Broek, W.B.P. van den; Agtmaal, J.M.C. van; Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. van; Kruithof, Joop C.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2018.01.060

Cited by 32 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The use of wastewater effluent as feed water at the DECO plant increases the fouling tendency of membrane elements, particularly biological fouling due to the high biodegradable organic carbon content of membrane bioreactor permeate [9]. The analysis of the membrane surface morphology (SEM) and biofilm composition (EDX and FTIR) confirmed the presence of biological materials (biofouling) on the membrane modules.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The pilot test facility was located at the DECO water treatment plant, managed by Evides Industriewater in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. The DECO plant produces demineralized water and cooling tower supply water from membrane bioreactor (MBR) permeate, originating from the wastewater treatment plant of Terneuzen [9]. The MBR permeate is transported over 13 km by pipeline to the DECO plant.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biofouling is inevitable during long-term operation [8]. Even with extensive pretreatment of feed water using disinfectants [9] and biocides [10], it is not possible to remove all micro-organisms and biodegradable substances from the feed water [11,12]. Membrane surface and feed spacer modifications can somewhat delay biofilm formation [13,14,15], but cannot completely eliminate biofouling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pilot-Scale Assessment of Urea as a Chemical Cleaning Agent for Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Reverse Osmosis Membrane Elements

et al. 2019

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Routine chemical cleaning with the combined use of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) is carried out as a means of biofouling control in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The novelty of the research presented herein is in the application of urea, instead of NaOH, as a chemical cleaning agent to full-scale spiral-wound RO membrane elements. A comparative study was carried out at a pilot-scale facility at the Evides Industriewater DECO water treatment plant in the Netherlands. Three fouled 8-inch diameter membrane modules were harvested from the lead position of one of the full-scale RO units treating membrane bioreactor (MBR) permeate. One membrane module was not cleaned and was assessed as the control. The second membrane module was cleaned by the standard alkali/acid cleaning protocol. The third membrane module was cleaned with concentrated urea solution followed by acid rinse. The results showed that urea cleaning is as effective as the conventional chemical cleaning with regards to restoring the normalized feed channel pressure drop, and more effective in terms of (i) improving membrane permeability, and (ii) solubilizing organic foulants and the subsequent removal of the surface fouling layer. Higher biomass removal by urea cleaning was also indicated by the fact that the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the HCl rinse solution post-urea-cleaning was an order of magnitude greater than in the HCl rinse after standard cleaning. Further optimization of urea-based membrane cleaning protocols and urea recovery and/or waste treatment methods is proposed for full-scale applications.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pilot-Scale Assessment of Urea as a Chemical Cleaning Agent for Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Reverse Osmosis Membrane Elements

et al. 2019

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“…A growth potential measurement of the feed water was carried out to evaluate the SWRO permeate quality along the line. This approach has been previously applied to evaluate the biological stability of waters (Prest et al 2016;Farhat et al 2018aFarhat et al , 2018b. The results showed a leaching of nutrient along the pipes and reservoir, resulting in higher bacterial cell growth (Figure 7), and therefore, compromising the assessment of the SWRO permeate as CT feed water.…”

Section: Implications Of the Study For Industrial Cooling Tower Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of phosphate availability on biofilm formation in cooling towers

et al. 2020

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Phosphate limitation has been suggested as a preventive method against biofilms. P-limited feed water was studied as a preventive strategy against biofouling in cooling towers (CTs). Three pilot-scale open recirculating CTs were operated in parallel for five weeks. RO permeate was fed to the CTs (1) without supplementation (reference), (2) with supplementation by biodegradable carbon (P-limited) and (3) with supplementation of all nutrients (non-P-limited). The P-limited water contained 10 mg PO 4 l À1. Investigating the CT-basins and coupons showed that P-limited water (1) did not prevent biofilm formation and (2) resulted in a higher volume of organic matter per unit of active biomass compared with the other CTs. Exposure to external conditions and cycle of concentration were likely factors that allowed a P concentration sufficient to cause extensive biofouling despite being the limiting compound. In conclusion, phosphate limitation in cooling water is not a suitable strategy for CT biofouling control.

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“…As a result, chloramination can be applied to both PA and CTA RO membranes. It was hypothesised that chloramination can inactivate bacteria and alleviate membrane biofouling [ 40 , 41 ]. No previous studies have evaluated the effect of chloramination on membrane fouling mitigation in pre-concentrating municipal wastewater using FO membranes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biofouling Mitigation by Chloramination during Forward Osmosis Filtration of Wastewater

Fujioka

Nguyen

Hoang

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Pre-concentration is essential for energy and resource recovery from municipal wastewater. The potential of forward osmosis (FO) membranes to pre-concentrate wastewater for subsequent biogas production has been demonstrated, although biofouling has also emerged as a prominent challenge. This study, using a cellulose triacetate FO membrane, shows that chloramination of wastewater in the feed solution at 3–8 mg/L residual monochloramine significantly reduces membrane biofouling. During a 96-h pre-concentration, flux in the chloraminated FO system decreased by only 6% and this flux decline is mostly attributed to the increase in salinity (or osmotic pressure) of the feed due to pre-concentration. In contrast, flux in the non-chloraminated FO system dropped by 35% under the same experimental conditions. When the feed was chloraminated, the number of bacterial particles deposited on the membrane surface was significantly lower compared to a non-chloraminated wastewater feed. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the potential of chloramination to inhibit bacteria growth and consequently biofouling during pre-concentration of wastewater using a FO membrane.

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Application of monochloramine for wastewater reuse: Effect on biostability during transport and biofouling in RO membranes

Cited by 32 publications

References 71 publications

Pilot-Scale Assessment of Urea as a Chemical Cleaning Agent for Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Reverse Osmosis Membrane Elements

Pilot-Scale Assessment of Urea as a Chemical Cleaning Agent for Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Reverse Osmosis Membrane Elements

Effect of phosphate availability on biofilm formation in cooling towers

Biofouling Mitigation by Chloramination during Forward Osmosis Filtration of Wastewater

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