Membrane Fouling Potential of Secondary Effluent Organic Matter (EfOM) from Conventional Activated Sludge Process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6037.2012.01.02.7Keywords:
Biopolymers, cake layer, F-EEM, LC-OCD, standard blockingAbstract
Secondary effluent organic matter (EfOM) from a conventional activated sludge process was filtered through constant-pressure dead-end filtration tests with a sequential ultrafiltration (UF, molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 10k Dalton) and nanofiltration (NF, MWCO of 200 Dalton) array to investigate its membrane fouling potential. Advanced analytical methods including liquid chromatography with online carbon detection (LC-OCD) and fluorescent excitation-emission matrix (F-EEM) were employed for EfOM characterization. EfOM consisted of humic substances and building blocks, low molecular weight (LMW) neutrals, biopolymers (mainly proteins) and hydrophobic organics according to the sequence of their organic carbon fractions. The UF rejected only biopolymers and the NF rejected most humics and building blocks and a significant part of LMW neutrals. Simultaneous occurrence of cake layer and standard blocking during the filtration process of both UF and NF was identified according to constant-pressure filtration equations, which was possibly caused by the heterogeneous nature of EfOM with a wide MW distribution (several ten to several million Dalton). Thus the corresponding two fouling indices (kc for cake layer and ks for standard blocking) from UF and NF could characterize the fouling potential of macromolecular biopolymers and low to intermediate MW organics (including humics, building blocks, LMW neutrals), respectively. Compared with macromolecular biopolymers, low to intermediate MW organics exhibited a much higher fouling potential due to their lower molecular weight and higher concentration.
References
Shon HK, Vigneswaran S, Snyder SA. Effluent organic matter (EfOM) in wastewater: Constituents, effects, and treatment. Crit Rev Env Sci Tec 2006; 36(4): 327-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10643380600580011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10643380600580011
Laabs CN, Amy G, Jekel M. Understanding the size and character of fouling-causing substances from effluent organic matter (EfOM) in low-pressure membrane filtration. Environ Sci Technol 2006; 40: 4495-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es060070r DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/es060070r
Huber SA, Balz A, Abert M, Pronk W. Characterisation of aquatic humic and non-humic matter with size-exclusion chromatography - organic carbon detection - organic nitrogen detection (LC-OCD-OND). Water Res 2011; 45: 879-85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.09.023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.09.023
Huber SA, Frimmel FH. Direct gel chromatographic characterization and quantification of marine dissolved organic carbon using high-sensitivity DOC detection. Environ Sci Technol 1994; 28: 1194-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es00055a035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/es00055a035
Henderson RK, Baker A, Murphy KR, Hambly A, Stuetz RM, Khan SJ. Fluorescence as a potential monitoring tool for recycled water systems: A review. Water Res 2009; 43: 863-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2008.11.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2008.11.027
Hermans PH, Bredee HL. Principles of the mathematical treatment of constant-pressure filtration. J Soc Chem Ind 1936; 55T: 1-4.
Hermia J. Constant pressure blocking filtration laws–application to power-law non-Newtonian fluids. Trans IChemE 1982; 60A: 183-7.
Ho CC, Zydney AL. A combined pore blockage and cake filtration model for protein fouling during microfiltration. J Colloid Interface Sci 2000; 232: 389-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jcis.2000.7231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/jcis.2000.7231
Cho JW, Amy G, Yoon YM, Sohn J. Predictive models and factors affecting natural organic matter (NOM) rejection and flux decline in ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. Desalination 2002; 142: 245-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(02)00206-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(02)00206-0
Bolton G, LaCasse D, Kuriyel R. Combined models of membrane fouling: Development and application to microfiltration and ultrafiltration of biological fluids. J Memb Sci 2006; 277: 75-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2004.12.053 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2004.12.053
Wei CH, Laborie S, Ben Aim R, Amy G. Full utilization of silt density index (SDI) measurements for seawater pre-treatment. J Memb Sci 2012; 405-406: 212-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2012.03.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2012.03.010
Boerlage SFE, Kennedy MD, Dickson MR, El-Hodali DEY, Schippers JC. The modified fouling index using ultrafiltration membranes (MFI-UF): characterisation, filtration mechanisms and proposed reference membrane. J Memb Sci 2002; 197: 1-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(01)00618-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(01)00618-4
Wang F, Tarabara VV. Pore blocking mechanisms during early stages of membrane fouling by colloids. J Colloid Interface Sci 2008; 328: 464-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2008.09.028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2008.09.028
Jarusutthirak C, Amy G. Understanding soluble microbial products (SMP) as a component of effluent organic matter (EfOM). Water Res 2007; 41: 2787-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2007.03.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2007.03.005
Huber SA. Evidence for membrane fouling by specific TOC constituents. Desalination 1998; 119: 229-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(98)00162-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(98)00162-3
Rosenberger S, Evenblij H, Poele ST, Wintgens T, Laabs C. The importance of liquid phase analyses to understand fouling in membrane assisted activated sludge processes - six case studies of different European research groups, J Memb Sci 2005; 263: 113-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2005.04.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2005.04.010
Yang Z, Juang YC, Lee DJ, Duan YY. Pore blockage of organic fouling layer with highly heterogeneous structure in membrane filtration: Role of minor organic foulants. J Memb Sci 2012; 411-412: 30-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2012.04.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2012.04.010
Zheng X, Ernst M, Jekel M. Identification and quantification of major organic foulants in treated domestic wastewater affecting filterability in dead-end ultrafiltration. Water Res 2009; 43: 238-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2008.10.011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2008.10.011
Filloux E, Labanowski J, Croue JP. Understanding the fouling of UF/MF hollow fibres of biologically treated wastewaters using advanced EfOM characterization and statistical tools. Bioresour Technol 2012; 118: 460-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.081 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.081
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Policy for Journals/Articles with Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work
Policy for Journals / Manuscript with Paid Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Publisher retain copyright .
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work .