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The author sincerely wishes to express his heartfelt appreciation for all the assistance and support rendered by his project supervisor, Dr. Philip Wong. Dr. Wong provided invaluable advice and suggestions, as well as vital guidance and encouragement that spurred the author to greater heights. It was definitely a great pleasure to work together with Dr. Wong, whose expertise and knowledge have benefited the author tremendously. The successful completion of this project would not have been possible without his utmost assistance. The author also wishes to thank Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC) for the research scholarship and the project funding respectively. Additionally, he would like to acknowledge and extend his sincere gratitude to the research staffs of SMTC and the technicians of NTU Environment laboratory. They assisted wholeheartedly in the procurement of equipment and consumables, the demonstration of equipment usages, and/or the provision of technical advices. These include Dr. Ziggy Chong, Dr. Zhang Jinsong, Ms.