The Use of Membrane Techniques in Swimming Pool Water Treatment

Abstract

The paper has determined the suitability of membrane processes (UF ultrafiltration, UF, and nanofiltration, NF) for the purification of waste streams, so-called backwash water, obtained from washing filtration beds in a swimming pool water system. The backwash water samples were taken from the circuits located in two indoor facilities with a different purpose of the basins. Moreover, the samples were characterized by varying quality, as described by selected physicochemical parameters (such as turbidity and ultraviolet absorbance UV254). Commercial membranes were used for the tests. The transport-separation properties of the membranes were determined based on the volumetric flux of the permeate. In addition, backwash water samples before and after the membrane process were subjected to toxicological assessment using the Microtox ® screening test. The performed processes contributed to a significant reduction in turbidity and the value of UV254 ultraviolet absorbance, both in the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration processes. Whereas, significant differences in transport properties were noted within individual processes. A great influence of backwash water quality, including physicochemical parameters, on the course and results of the membrane filtration processes was demonstrated. In all of the nanofiltration cycles carried out, the removal of the toxic properties of the backwash water with respect to bacteria in the Microtox ® test was found. Nevertheless, samples with high values of resultant physicochemical parameters after the ultrafiltration process were still characterized by high toxicity. Pressure membrane processes show high effectiveness in the removal of contaminants from backwash water. However, it is necessary to introduce supporting processes aimed at reducing membrane pore blocking by deposits and organic compounds, and in the case of ultrafiltration, assuring the safety of the purified stream in terms of the toxicological effect.

The Source of Toxicity of Backwash Water from a Swimming Pool Filter Bed Washings

“…K e y w o r d s : Filter backwash water; Micropollutants; Swimming pools; Toxicity; Water reuse. cular plants [6][7][8][9]. The toxicity effect differed depending on both the used type of biotest and the type of swimming pool from that the sample of filter backwash water was collected ( Table 1).…”

Evaluation of the effect of body fluid analogs on the parameters of nanofiltration during the purification of swimming pool water

“…An alternative to classical treatment systems is pressure membrane systems that are highly effective in the removal of suspended solids, microorganisms, DBPs, and micropollutants [12,31,32]. Pressure membrane systems must be optimized for the operating parameters of the process if it has to be used for the treatment of POOLW, in addition to the observation and description of the phenomena that hinder their practical use in actual systems.…”

“…Thus, the reason for the experimental and computational works conducted is an evident lack of studies, that would describe the properties related to the transport and separation properties of substances associated with components of body fluids in unit nanofiltration (NF) processes and integrated systems, with the use of polymer membranes. Individual studies on the use of pressure membrane processes have focused on the total stream of pollutants [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] and have not analyzed a specific problem that may constitute an obstacle to the use of membrane systems in the future.…”

Application of Nanosilver in Swimming Pool Water Treatment Technology

“…Because of this, some existing facilities are being modernized and fitted with additional devices and processes to boost the efficiency of water treatment [10][11][12].…”

“…Swimming pool water treatment systems that guarantee healthy water include prefiltration, surface coagulation run in various filter beds, ultrafiltration, disinfection with sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite aided by ozonization or UV irradiation, and pH correction [6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”