Three steps to control biofouling in reverse osmosis systems

Evaluation of electrocoagulation for the pre-treatment of coal seam water

“…Mechanistically, Jiang et al [67] postulated that boron was removed by a combination of adsorption and precipitation according to Eq. (14).…”

“…However, it is well known that RO systems can suffer from fouling of the membranes [9][10][11][12][13]. Consequently, a range of approaches are required to clean the water prior to the final RO desalination stage [14].…”

Tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride for biofouling control in reverse osmosis processes

“…5), it could be applicable to biofouling control in RO processes. Furthermore, TTPC will be dosed at concentrations much lower than MIC values as are DBNPA applications in RO processes (2-5 and 20 mg/L for shock and continuous dosing, respectively [16]). Nevertheless, caution is needed to apply it in drinking water production.…”

“…DBNPA rapidly inactivates microorganisms when applied at relatively low levels [16]. DBNPA does not easily pass through RO membrane (rejection = 98.5-99.5% [22]) and does not cause membrane damage [22].…”

“…Recently, non-oxidizing biocides including 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide (DBNPA), isothiazolone, and glutaraldehyde have generated attention as alternative chemicals that are directly applicable to RO elements without the risk of damage to RO membranes due to their membrane compatibility [8,[16][17][18]. Unlike chlorine-based chemicals, non-oxidizing biocides possess specific modes of action in inactivating microorganisms.…”