Application of various membranes to remove NOM typically occurring in Korea with respect to DBP, AOC and transport parameters Original Research Article

Bench- and pilot-scale membrane tests were performed to remove natural organic matter (NOM) originating from Paldang Lake in Korea. Membrane performance was demonstrated in terms of DOC, biodegradable organic carbon (BDOC), assimilable organic carbon (AOC), and transport parameters. Various membranes such as reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) were investigated for this study. Four different NF membranes were selected for pilot-scale filtration testing and investigated in terms of both flux decline and DOC removal. To demonstrate the effect of temperature on the source water seasonally, the flux of membranes was measured with pure water at different temperatures ranging from 25 to 7°C. Coagulation/sedimentation treated water was used as feed water without removing residual chlorine; related plants were located at the Suji water treatment plant of Yongin City. To investigate more rigorously the organic fouling for various NF membranes, mass transport behaviors of organic matter solutes were evaluated by an irreversible thermodynamic model. The pore sizes of the NF membranes tested in the pilot slightly increased due to the oxidation of the polymer structure of the membranes from residual chlorine during the 4-month tests. Periodic chemical cleaning with a caustic solution was made to prevent accumulation of foulants on the membrane surface. The NF membranes exhibited stable efficiencies in terms of DOC and AOC removal during the test for 4 months.