Application of biofiltration as a promising pre-treatment method to enhance the sustainability of low-pressure membrane operations

• Applicant: Dr. Barbara Siembida-Lösch
• Subject Area: Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
• Term: from 2012 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 227607932

Membranes are finding increasing application in drinking water treatment. The most significant issue facing membrane operation is fouling, leading to a reduction in throughput and/or increase of the transmembrane pressure. Its control and prevention result in high manpower requirements as well as in increased electrical power consumption and increases in the use of chemicals for cleaning. The need to maintain a high permeate flux is one of the major cost factors - capital as well as operating costs - associated with membrane systems. Although biological filtration processes have long been used in drinking water treatment, their successful application as a pre-treatment to reduce membrane fouling is quite recent. The overall goal of the proposed research is to determine optimal operation and backwash procedure for this promising technology to be applied as pre-treatment to enhance the sustainability of low-pressure membrane operations. In addition, biofiltration applied as a “green” membrane pre-treatment is to be optimized under different seasonal conditions in Lake Ontario (feed quality, temperature, and flow pattern) and compared with a conventional membrane pre-treatment method (coagulation/flocculation). For this purpose, full-scale biologically active carbon contactors (BACCs) will be operated and optimized, so that the applicability can already be proved in an experimental phase.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Canada
• Host: Professor Peter M. Huck