Low-pressure membrane technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of
water sources used for drinking purposes. These membranes are generally classified as either
microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF). Although it is generally assumed that UF membranes
provide effective virus removal and MF membranes do not, these classifications do not accurately
describe their capabilities to remove a wide array of microorganisms. As a result of the exponential
growth in the membrane market, it is anticipated that new membranes will be developed for water
treatment purposes. Membranes have traditionally been characterized based on nominal pore size
designations or molecular weight cutoffs (MWCOs). However, assumptions about microbial
removal based on these descriptions can be inaccurate. Consequently, an AWWARF-funded study
was undertaken to characterize membranes at bench scale based upon their capability to remove
specific microorganisms. A previously developed, peer-review protocol was employed to develop a
microbial removal rating system for membranes. Materials and methods used include: low-pressure membrane testing unit and membrane modules; disinfection of experimental system; organisms used for bench-scale challenge experiments; microbial challenge experiments; determination of specific flux. Analytical methods are given for: pH; temperature, conductivity; chlorine preparation for membrane cleaning; and, bacteriophages. Includes 6 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 360 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 03/01/2005 |
