Optimization of membrane technologies for drinking water treatment

超滤膜（即膜）正在成为饮用水处理应用的首选技术。 这在很大程度上是由于这样的事实，即与传统的砂滤系统相比，膜可以更有效地和一致地去除颗粒污染物，如微生物病原体。 然而，在过滤过程中，材料可能积聚并污染膜，从而增加对渗透流的阻力。 目前用于克服过度结垢的策略增加了膜系统的资本和运营成本，高于传统砂滤系统的资本和运营成本;因此，供水商实施“先进”水处理技术的能力受到限制。 此外，膜与其他过滤系统一样，在没有某种形式的预处理的情况下，不能有效地去除可溶性污染物，例如一些消毒副产物和新出现的污染物（例如内分泌干扰和药物活性化合物）。

Ultrafiltration membranes (i.e. membranes), are becoming the technology of choice for drinking water treatment applications. This is largely due to the fact that membranes, when compared to conventional sand filtration systems, can more effectively and consistently remove particulate contaminants, such as microbial pathogens. However, during filtration, material can accumulate and foul the membrane, increasing the resistance to the permeating flow. The strategies currently used to overcome excessive fouling increase the capital and operating costs of membrane systems above those for conventional sand filtration systems; as a result, the ability of water providers to implement 'advanced' water treatment technologies is limited. Also, membrane, like other filtration systems, cannot effectively remove soluble contaminants, such as some disinfection by-products and emerging contaminants (e.g. endocrine disrupting and pharmaceutically active compounds), without some form of pre-treatment.