Application of an ozonation–adsorption–ultrafiltration system for surface water treatment Original Research Article

Investigations are presented on the effect of the preliminary ozonation on ultrafiltration (UF) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) /UF process performance, especially on permeate flux decline and the effectiveness of model organics removal. Flat membranes from regenerated cellulose were used. A model solution was prepared as a mixture of humic acids and phenol. PAC dosage was equal to 100 mg/l−1. The ozone dosages were in the range of 1–3 mg O3 l−1 (0.2–0.6 mg O3/mg TOC). It was found that the most advantageous configuration was preliminary ozonation with an ozone dosage of 0.4 mgO3/mg TOC–UF. The permeate flux reached a value equal to the pure water flux value. Moreover, a very high effectiveness of model organics removal was obtained: TOC was reduced by about 96% and UV254 absorbance was removed completely. When PAC was added to the feed containing humic acids without ozonation, a drop in a permeate flux was observed compared to UF. Similarly, the addition of PAC to feed treated with ozone resulted in a significant drop in the permeate flux in comparison with pure water flux, regardless of ozone dosage applied.