Hormones and antibiotics have been found to be prevalent in wastewaters and surface
waters at low concentrations. In this study, nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) are two
selected emerging technologies that may remove low levels of these compounds given varying
water quality parameters such as pH and presence of natural organic matter (NOM). The natural
hormone 17ß-estradiol (E2) showed high levels of rejection (>75%) using NF membranes but
significant levels of adsorption were observed at the initial stages of operation. Subsequent clean
water addition indicated that adsorbed E2 could easily desorb, causing the membrane to act both
as a sink and source. UF rejection of E2 was low but again showed significant levels of
adsorption. Rejection of E2 was also enhanced by fouling of the membrane by natural organic
matter (NOM), operation at higher permeate flux, and higher pH conditions. Preliminary
experimental results regarding antibiotic removal indicate that NF rejection is highly pH
dependent. Levels of adsorption, however, were found to vary widely on the specific antibiotic,
membrane tightness, and the selected pH. Includes 10 references, table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 260 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 9 |
| Published : | 06/01/2006 |
