Using Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes to Remove Emerging Pollutants from Aqueous Solutions

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Global water pollution is a significant concern, with emerging pollutants posing risks to human health.
• Wastewater contaminants can enter the water cycle, impacting domestic water supplies.
• Membrane technology offers a promising physical-chemical separation method for water contaminant removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of different membranes in removing emerging pollutants: caffeine, metformin, and methyl-paraben.
• To evaluate the impact of operating parameters, such as pressure and feed concentration, on membrane performance.
• To apply the solution-diffusion model for predicting membrane behavior in methyl-paraben removal.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nanofiltration (NF) membranes to assess rejection coefficients and permeate fluxes.
• Screened three novel membranes for methyl-paraben removal, analyzing operating variables.
• Employed the solution-diffusion model to predict membrane performance for methyl-paraben removal.

Main Results:

• Nanofiltration membranes demonstrated effectiveness in removing caffeine, metformin, and methyl-paraben.
• Operating pressure and methyl-paraben feed concentration influenced membrane removal efficiency.
• The solution-diffusion model showed a good correlation with experimental data for permeate flux and methyl-paraben concentration.

Conclusions:

• Membrane technology, particularly nanofiltration, is a viable method for removing emerging pollutants from water.
• Optimizing operating conditions enhances the efficiency of membrane-based water treatment.
• The solution-diffusion model accurately predicts membrane performance, aiding in process design.