title: Long-term effect on membrane fouling in a new membrane bioreactor as a pretreatment to seawater desalination.
abstract: Submerged membrane adsorption bio-reactors (SMABR) were investigated as a new pretreatment for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination. They were tested with different doses of powder activated carbon (PAC) on-site for a long-term. The biofouling on the membrane was assessed in terms of DNA (cells) and polysaccharide distribution. MBR without PAC addition resulted in severe fouling on membrane. When PAC is added in the MBR, PAC could reduce the organic fouling. Hence the biofilm formation on membrane was reduced without any membrane damage. PAC also helped to remove low molecular weight (LMW) organics responsible for biofouling of RO membrane. A linear correlation between assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and LMW organics was observed. A small amount of PAC (2.4-8.0g of PAC/m(3) of seawater) was sufficient to reduce biofouling. It indicated that SMABR is an environmentally-friendly biological pretreatment to reduce biofouling for SWRO.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanghyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: Saravanamuth.Vigneswaran@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Saravanamuthu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vigneswaran
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000327:Adsorption; D018441:Biofilms; D057219:Biofouling; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000032:analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005374:Filtration; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011312:Pressure; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D006812:Humic Substances; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002244:Carbon; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA
keywords: Adsorption; Biofouling; Membrane bio-reactor; Microfiltration; Seawater