2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41545-022-00183-0
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Reverse osmosis membrane biofouling: causes, consequences and countermeasures

Abstract: Biofouling has been referred to as “the Achilles heel” of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology; the main cause being polyamide RO membranes lack of chlorine tolerance. Biofouling increases the operating cost of water treatment by increasing RO system feed pressure (i.e., energy demand) and increasing membrane cleaning frequency, which increases downtime and reduces membrane useful life. For waters with known high biofouling potential, plant designs also may require more extensive pretreatment, which increa… Show more

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Cited by 45 publications
(12 citation statements)
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“…As illustrated in the previous chapters, biofouling is an important challenge in the operation of MBRs, often referred to as the “Achilles heel” [ 44 ] of the membrane technology. Being an extremely complex phenomenon, the influence of the various parameters, whether physical or biological, on the development of fouling is not completely understood [ 45 ].…”
Section: Model-based Anti-biofouling Strategiesmentioning
confidence: 99%
See 2 more Smart Citations
“…As illustrated in the previous chapters, biofouling is an important challenge in the operation of MBRs, often referred to as the “Achilles heel” [ 44 ] of the membrane technology. Being an extremely complex phenomenon, the influence of the various parameters, whether physical or biological, on the development of fouling is not completely understood [ 45 ].…”
Section: Model-based Anti-biofouling Strategiesmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…To provide effective biofouling remedies, some of the key areas that require improvement relate to [ 44 ] are: Understanding of the specific processes that govern biofilm formation, implementation of pre-treatment techniques that can successfully prevent biofilm formation, monitoring biofouling to enable proactive and effective membrane cleaning and maintenance. …”
Section: Model-based Anti-biofouling Strategiesmentioning
confidence: 99%
See 1 more Smart Citation
“…10−12 Of these, biofouling poses the greatest concern as it cannot be controlled as readily as the other types of fouling. 13,14 The thin polyamide selective layer of the TFC membrane provides a favorable environment for the adhesion of bacteria, proteins, and organic matter due to the roughness, hydrophobicity, and negative charge of the membrane surface. As a result, TFC membranes are highly prone to biofouling, 15−17 which causes a significant decline in water flux and an overall decrease in membrane performance.…”
Section: ■ Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…RO membrane filtration has the potential to address ongoing and developing issues surrounding water scarcity , due to its excellent separation performance. , However, there are still drawbacks associated with the application of TFC membranes and RO filtration, including capital costs, energy costs, and membrane fouling. During operation, TFC membranes can become fouled in several ways due to components of the feedwater: (1) particulate fouling caused by a buildup of larger particulates and colloids on the membrane surface, (2) scaling due to inorganic salt precipitation, (3) organic fouling resulting from adsorption of natural organic compounds, and (4) biofouling arising from the proliferation of biological species on the membrane surface. Of these, biofouling poses the greatest concern as it cannot be controlled as readily as the other types of fouling. , The thin polyamide selective layer of the TFC membrane provides a favorable environment for the adhesion of bacteria, proteins, and organic matter due to the roughness, hydrophobicity, and negative charge of the membrane surface. As a result, TFC membranes are highly prone to biofouling, which causes a significant decline in water flux and an overall decrease in membrane performance. , Once membranes become heavily fouled, they must be replaced, which drives up the costs associated with RO membrane filtration …”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%