Full Description

The objective of this study was to characterize and identify the organic foulants responsible for flux declinesof low pressure membranes during periods of more intense microbial activity. Samples were collected from the Urne River (Brittanyregion - France) after clarification at the Magenta drinking water treatment plant atdifferent periods during the first semester of the year 2003. High Pressure Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) and Pyrolysis GC/MS analyses werethe two major analytical tools used in this study. Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS) and amino acids and amino sugarsanalyses were also performed. This work confirmed that during intense microbial activity in the sourcewater (spring, summer time), conventionally treated water exert stronger membrane fouling. HPSECanalyses showed that high molecular polysaccharides and proteins are preferentially sorbed onto themembranes during such period. This study showed that the organic foulant that remains after backwashand chemical cleaning was a mixture of several biopolymers (proteins, polysaccharides, amino sugarsand polyhydroxyaromatics). Amino sugars and polysaccharides which originate from microbial activity(microbial cell wall residues and/or exopolymers from DOM constituents and/or biofilm) appeared to be the major constituents of the fouling material. Includes 5 references, tables, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 03/01/2005 Number of Pages: 9File Size: 1 file , 570 KB