Micro-organism rejection by membrane systems

    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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