Membrane and absorption processes in water treatment: adaptation to climate change

自1993年在威斯康星州密尔沃基爆发隐孢子虫病以来，影响了40多万市民，基于微滤（MF）和超滤（UF）膜的工艺越来越多地用于水处理厂升级和新建工厂。密西索加，ON，北湾，ON和圣约翰，NF是城市现在使用膜技术的例子。预计气候变化将导致地表水质量发生变化，特别是在夏季的几个月里，藻类会大量生长，因此水处理厂需要适应这种变化。膜可能会更快地结垢，因此预计溶气浮选（DAF）将成为更受欢迎的预处理形式。此外，活性炭（AC）吸附可能会更频繁地用于帮助控制与藻类有关的味道和气味事件。申请方提议采取三项举措来应对这些影响。 首先，研究了藻类胁迫下溶气气浮预处理对膜工艺性能的影响。中空纤维膜是一种成熟的膜分离技术，但对中空纤维膜体系中膜的相互作用研究较少。第二，进一步开发具有低污染倾向的非常有前途的新型超滤膜材料。该计划将涉及优化这种膜的制备，检查其耐氯性，从这种材料中开发中空纤维，并用几种挑战性沃茨对其进行测试。 最后，评估一种新的吸附剂/电化学再生工艺，该工艺可能比AC更实用。

Since the 1993 cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Milwaukee, WI, which impacted over 400,000 citizens, microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane-based processes have been increasingly used in water treatment plant upgrades and new plants. Mississauga, ON, North Bay, ON and St. John's, NF are examples of cities now using membrane technology. Climate change is expected to produce changes in surface water quality, particularly much greater algal growth during summer months, thus water treatment plants will need to adapt. Membranes will likely foul more rapidly so dissolved air flotation (DAF) is expected to become a more popular form of pre-treatment. Also activated carbon (AC) adsorption will likely be used more frequently to help control algal-related taste and odour incidents. The applicant proposes to pursue three initiatives to address these impacts. First, to study the impact of dissolved air flotation (DAF) pretreatment on the performance of membrane processes under algal stress. DAF is an established technolgy but the interactions of DAF on hollow fibre membrane systems have hardly been studied. Second, to further develop a very promising new ultrafiltration membrane material with low fouling tendencies. This initiative will involve optimizing the preparation of this membrane, checking its chlorine resistance, developing hollow fibres from this material and testing them with several challenge waters. And finally, to evaluate a new adsorbent/electrochemical regeneration process which could potentially be more practical than AC for water treatment applications.