title: Understanding the size and character of fouling-causing substances from effluent organic matter (EfOM) in low-pressure membrane filtration.
abstract: Stirred cell tests with microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes show high flux decline for WWTP effluents. For the MF membrane, for example, the flux declines within 15 min to 70-80% of the initial flux (J0 is in the range of 1000 L/m2h to 1500 L/m2h). This time corresponds to the filtration of a cumulative volume of 110 L/m2. Feed and permeate samples of the stirred cell tests are analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with on-line organic carbon and UVA254 detection. The resulting chromatograms exhibit a clear difference between the feed and permeate samples in the so-called polysaccharide (PS) peak. The substances eluting in the PS peak (organic colloids, polysaccharides, and proteins) are retained completely by UF membranes and partly by MF membranes, and are responsible for the observed fouling. By sequential filtration experiments the sizes of these macromolecules are determined to be in the range of 10 to 100 nm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany. Claudia.Laabs@din.de
authors.forename: Claudia N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Laabs
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Amy
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jekel
mesh_terms: D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011312:Pressure; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals