Title

Micro-organism rejection by membrane systems

Authors

Authors

W. A. Lovins; J. S. Taylor;S. K. Hong

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Environ. Eng. Sci.

Keywords

membranes; nanofiltration; microfiltration; ultrafiltration; disinfection; rnicro-organism; Clostridium perfringens; Cryptosporidium; parvum oocysts; Giardia lamblia cysts; log rejection; WATER; PERFORMANCE; CRYPTO; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences

Abstract

The removal of micro-organisms by membrane systems was investigated using single-element membranes and five species of micro-organisms I in a plant setting at East St. Louis, MO. Single-element membranes included a cellulose acetate ultrafilter (UF), a polysulfone microfilter (MF), a cellulose acetate (CA) nanofilter (NF), and two composite thin-film (CTF) nanofilters. Micro-organism challenge studies were conducted using raw, alum coagulated-settled, and finished plant water. Model micro-organisms consisted of Clostridium perfringens (strain 26) spores (similar to 1-5 mum) for bacteria simulation, MS-2 (similar to0.025 mum), and PRD-1 (similar to0.1 mum) phage for virus rejection and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (similar to4-6 mum) and Giardia lamblia cysts (similar to8-14 mum) for cyst rejection. Sixty-eight observations of micro-organism rejection were gathered over 1 year of operation in eight separate challenge events where micro-organisms were spiked separately and as a mixture. The composite thin-film nanofilters provided significantly better disinfection than the cellulose acetate nanofilter. However, a cellulose acetate ultrafilter rejected more micro-organisms than any membrane tested, indicating disinfection by cellulose acetate membranes is a function of construction and module configuration rather than membrane film, as both the CA and CTF membranes were constructed in a spiral wound configuration. Micro-organism log rejection was independent of organism size except for the MF, which,passed viruses, and was independent of membrane material but varied among membranes.

Journal Title

Environmental Engineering Science

Volume

19

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2002

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

453

Last Page

465

WOS Identifier

WOS:000180396300010

ISSN

1092-8758

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