Characterizing RO Fouling Potential of Brackish Surface Water

Analysis of reverse osmosis membrane performance during desalination of simulated brackish surface waters

“…Also, a significant different flux decline with the variation of temperature was observed. Alspach et al (2011) conducted a study on a two-stage RO brackish surface water treatment plant in Rifle, Colorado to investigate the fouling of RO membrane and its correlation to the level of pretreatment and the operating processes of RO in terms of recovery, cleaning frequency, and other factors. The study included monitoring the trend of water permeation coefficient, salt permeation coefficient, and the differential pressure during four test runs of the RO system.…”

“…Therefore, it is recommended to use the MF membrane as a pretreatment unit in advance of the RO membrane system. Also, Alspach et al, (2011) reported that using large pore size membrane as a pretreatment process in the RO brackish surface water treatment plants provides a better particulate removal.…”

The Future of Reverse Osmosis Optimization, Part 1: Intelligent Water

“…By contrast, dissolved‐phase species increase in concentration as purified water permeates the RO membranes, resulting in the highest levels in lag elements at the effluent end of the system, where the greatest potential for inorganic precipitation/scaling and organic sorption occurs. Note that although this characterization represents broad industry understanding of particulate fouling, exceptions can occur under specific circumstances, such as the potential for proliferation of fine colloidal matter in the last stage of RO systems applied to surface water supplies (Alspach et al 2011). Another such example may be facilitated by the decay of a chloramine residual across successive stages in a multistage system, enabling more intensive biological fouling in the lag elements (Abada et al 2022).…”