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. Nominal pore size
designations can also provide spurious interpretations of microbial removal efficacy. As a result, an
AWWARF-funded study was undertaken to create a bench-scale methodology for characterizing
membranes based solely on their capability to remove a variety of microorganisms. The specific
objective of this study was to construct a bench-scale, low-pressure membrane filtration testing unit,
and characterize low-pressure membranes based upon their capability to remove selected
microorganisms. Specifically, the impact of transmembrane pressure, viral loading on the
membrane and reported membrane molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) or pore size on microbial
removal was evaluated. Specific materials and methods included: low-pressure membrane testing units and membrane modules; disinfection of experimental system; organisms used for bench-scale challenge experiments; microbial challenge experiments; determination of specific flux; and, analytical methods. Includes 6 references, table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 330 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 12 |
| Published : | 11/02/2003 |
