Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging membrane process with potential applications in the treatment of highly fouling feedwaters. However, biofouling, the adhesion of microorganisms to the membrane and the subsequent formation of biofilms, remains a major limitation since antifouling membrane modifications offer limited protection against biofouling. In this study, we evaluated the use of graphene oxide (GO) for biofouling mitigation in FO. GO functionalization of thin-film composite membranes (GO-TFC) increased the surface hydrophilicity and imparted antimicrobial activity to the membrane without altering its transport properties. After 1 h of contact time, deposition and viability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells on GO-TFC were reduced by 36% and 30%, respectively, compared to pristine membranes. When GO-TFC membranes were tested for treatment of an artificial secondary wastewater supplemented with P. aeruginosa, membrane biofouling was reduced by 50% after 24 h of operation. This biofouling resistance is attributed to the reduced accumulation of microbial biomass on GO-TFC compared to pristine membranes. In addition, confocal microscopy demonstrated that cells deposited on the membrane surface are inactivated, resulting in a layer of dead cells on GO-TFC that limit biofilm formation. These findings highlight the potential of GO to be used for biofouling mitigation in FO.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 5840-5848 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Environmental Science and Technology |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 10 May 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 7 Jun 2016 |
Funding
F.P. acknowledges the financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. H.J. acknowledges the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2013162783). This work was supported by the NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (ERC-1449500). Facilities used were supported by the Yale Institute of Nanoscale and Quantum Engineering and NSF MRSEC DMR 1119826. We also thank Prof. Kanani Lee for granting access to the Raman spectrometer.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
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Ming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering - Lecturer
- Centre for Integrated Materials, Processes & Structures (IMPS)
- Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change
Person: Research & Teaching, Core staff, Affiliate staff