title: Impact of algal organic matter released from Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella sp. on the fouling of a ceramic microfiltration membrane.
abstract: Algal blooms lead to the secretion of algal organic matter (AOM) from different algal species into water treatment systems, and there is very limited information regarding the impact of AOM from different species on the fouling of ceramic microfiltration (MF) membranes. The impact of soluble AOM released from Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella sp. separately and together in feedwater on the fouling of a tubular ceramic microfiltration membrane (alumina, 0.1 μm) was studied at lab scale. Multi-cycle MF tests operated in constant pressure mode showed that the AOM (3 mg DOC L(-1)) extracted from the cultures of the two algae in early log phase of growth (12 days) resulted in less flux decline compared with the AOM from stationary phase (35 days), due to the latter containing significantly greater amounts of high fouling potential components (protein and humic-like substances). The AOM released from Chlorella sp. at stationary phase led to considerably greater flux decline and irreversible fouling resistance compared with that from M. aeruginosa. The mixture of the AOM (1:1, 3 mg DOC L(-1)) from the two algal species showed more similar flux decline and irreversible fouling resistance to the AOM from M. aeruginosa than Chlorella sp. This was due to the characteristics of the AOM mixture being more similar to those for M. aeruginosa than Chlorella sp. The extent of the flux decline for the AOM mixture after conventional coagulation with aluminium chlorohydrate or alum was reduced by 70%.
authors.affiliation: School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning, College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines.
authors.forename: Ma Catriona E
authors.initials: MCE
authors.lastname: Devanadera
authors.affiliation: School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia. Electronic address: felicity.roddick@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Felicity A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Roddick
authors.affiliation: School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia.
authors.forename: Linhua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines.
authors.forename: Maria Lourdes P
authors.initials: MLP
authors.lastname: Dalida
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics; D002708:Chlorella; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D046931:Microcystis; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial
keywords: Algal organic matter; Ceramic membrane; Chlorella sp.; Fouling; Microcystis aeruginosa; Microfiltration