Interaction of trace organic on reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane – effect of membrane chemistry and trace organic properties

• Main Author: Chen, Freddie Wen Hui.
• Other Authors: Tang Chuyang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Water treatment
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39583
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Emerging Contaminants are a broad category of environmental chemicals. There is mounting evidence that these low level emerging contaminants present in natural waters and sediments may affect wildlife, sometimes causing non-lethal but adverse ecological health effects. Although no direct adverse impact on human health has been established from consuming drinking water treated to current EPA standards, the presence of very low levels of emerging contaminants in the source waters used for drinking water supply is a cause for concern. Findings on the literature review about two classes of emerging contaminants: Endocrine Disrupting Compound (EDCs) and Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) were made. Factors affecting the rejection in the NF/RO membrane are group into size exclusion, charge exclusion and physiochemical interaction. Lastly, the rejection efficiency of 1 compound (E1) from EDCs and 3 compounds from PFCs were investigated. Two membrane NF 270 and NF 90 were also characterized using the contact angle measurement.