Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous in the aquatic environment and its presence is
known to lead to fouling of low-pressure microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF)
membranes. The extent of membrane fouling based on water quality measurements is
difficult to estimate, and much research has taken place to understand the phenomenon that
adds considerably to the operating costs and productivity of membrane systems. Early NOM
fouling experiments concentrated on fouling via hydrophobic NOM components, with fouling
occurring from either direct adsorption of these compounds or via Ca2+ bridging. These
results were mainly obtained from experiments using purified humic acid solutions. Later
experiments that have used natural surface waters have demonstrated the large fouling
potential of high molecular weight hydrophilic NOM. It is now emerging that interactions
between organic components may be important, as well as interactions between the organics
and the membrane, and results demonstrating this are presented.
Includes 13 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 1.7 MB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 9 |
| Published : | 03/01/2005 |
