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Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Enzymatic Membrane Bioreactors: Role Of Membrane Retention And Biodegradation, Muhammad Bilal Asif, Jingwei Hou, William E. Price, Vicki Chen, Faisal I. Hai Jan 2020

Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Enzymatic Membrane Bioreactors: Role Of Membrane Retention And Biodegradation, Muhammad Bilal Asif, Jingwei Hou, William E. Price, Vicki Chen, Faisal I. Hai

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Performance of an enzymatic membrane bioreactor (EMBR) equipped with either an ultrafiltration (UF) or a nanofiltration (NF) membrane was explored for the degradation of a set of 29 chemically diverse trace organic contaminants (TrOCs). The NF membrane provided effective retention (90-99%) of TrOCs within the NF-EMBR. On the other hand, partial retention of charged and significantly hydrophobic (log >3) TrOCs was achieved by the UF membrane via charge repulsion and adsorption on the enzyme gel-layer formed on the membrane surface during UF-EMBR operation. Laccase achieved TrOC-specific degradation in both EMBRs. The extent of TrOC degradation was significantly (5 to 65%) …


Effects Of Salinity Build-Up On The Performance Of An Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Regarding Basic Water Quality Parameters And Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants, Xiaoye Song, James A. Mcdonald, William E. Price, Stuart J. Khan, Faisal I. Hai, Hao H. Ngo, Wenshan Guo, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2016

Effects Of Salinity Build-Up On The Performance Of An Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Regarding Basic Water Quality Parameters And Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants, Xiaoye Song, James A. Mcdonald, William E. Price, Stuart J. Khan, Faisal I. Hai, Hao H. Ngo, Wenshan Guo, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The effects of elevated inorganic salt concentration on anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treatment regarding basic biological performance and trace organic contaminant (TrOC) removal were investigated. A set of 33 TrOCs were selected to represent pharmaceuticals, steroids, and pesticides in municipal wastewater. Results show potential adverse effects of increase in the bioreactor salinity to 15 g/L (as NaCl) on the performance of AnMBR with respect to chemical oxygen demand removal, biogas production, and the removal of most hydrophilic TrOCs. Furthermore, a decrease in biomass production was observed as salinity in the bioreactor increased. The removal of most hydrophobic TrOCs was high …


Biomethane Potential Evaluation Of Co-Digestion Of Sewage Sludge And Organic Wastes, Richard Wickham, Brendan Galway, Heriberto A. Bustamante, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2016

Biomethane Potential Evaluation Of Co-Digestion Of Sewage Sludge And Organic Wastes, Richard Wickham, Brendan Galway, Heriberto A. Bustamante, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Co-digestion of organic rich wastes and wastewater sludge to enhance biogas production has become an attractive economic possibility for water utilities. The suitability of the organic rich waste depends on its ability to produce biogas as well as its influence on the overall anaerobic digestion process. Biomethane potential evaluation was conducted to screen seven organic wastes and dehydrated algae. All co-substrates increased the bio-methane yield by three to six times compared with conventional anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Maximum co-digestion ratios were identifiable for most solid co-substrates including algae (6% wt/wt), undiluted food waste (5% wt/wt), bakery waste (5% wt/wt), …


Biological Performance And Trace Organic Contaminant Removal By A Side-Stream Ceramic Nanofiltration Membrane Bioreactor, Hop Phan, James A. Mcdonald, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Stuart J. Khan, Takahiro Fujioka, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2016

Biological Performance And Trace Organic Contaminant Removal By A Side-Stream Ceramic Nanofiltration Membrane Bioreactor, Hop Phan, James A. Mcdonald, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Stuart J. Khan, Takahiro Fujioka, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This study evaluated the performance of a side-stream ceramic nanofiltration membrane bioreactor (NF-MBR) system with respect to basic water quality parameters as well as trace organic contaminant (TrOC) removal efficiency. The results show a stable biological performance of the continuous NF-MBR system with high effluent quality (total organic carbon < 4 mg L-1 and NH4 +-N below the detection limit). Significantly higher performance by this NF-MBR in comparison to the conventional microfiltration/ultrafiltration MBR regarding the removal of a large number of TrOCs was observed. TrOC removal efficiency depended on their hydrophobicity and molecular features. All hydrophobic compounds (LogD pH=6 > 3) were well removed (>85%), except diazinon (59 ± 7%). Hydrophilic compounds containing electron donating groups were also well removed (>90%). By contrast, hydrophilic compounds containing electron withdrawing groups were poorly removed (8-54%). Most of the 40 TrOCs investigated in this study did not accumulate in the sludge. Only …


Evaluating Ionic Organic Draw Solutes In Osmotic Membrane Bioreactors For Water Reuse, Wenhai Luo, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2016

Evaluating Ionic Organic Draw Solutes In Osmotic Membrane Bioreactors For Water Reuse, Wenhai Luo, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The performance of two ionic organic draw solutes, namely sodium acetate (NaOAc) and ethylene-diamine-tetra acetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na), during osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) operation was investigated in this study. Their performance was compared to that of sodium chloride (NaCl). A reverse osmosis (RO) process was integrated with OMBR to form an OMBR-RO hybrid system for draw solute recovery and clean water production. Results show that the NaOAc and EDTA-2Na draw solutes significantly reduced salinity build-up in the bioreactor in comparison with NaCl during OMBR operation. At the same osmotic pressure, these two ionic organic draw solutions produced slightly lower …


Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By An Mbr Comprising A Mixed Culture Of Bacteria And White-Rot Fungi, Luong Nguyen, Faisal Hai, Shufan Yang, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, William Price, Long Nghiem Sep 2015

Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By An Mbr Comprising A Mixed Culture Of Bacteria And White-Rot Fungi, Luong Nguyen, Faisal Hai, Shufan Yang, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, William Price, Long Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

The degradation of 30 trace organic contaminants (TrOC) by a white-rot fungus-augmented membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated. The results show that white-rot fungal enzyme (laccase), coupled with a redox mediator (1-hydroxy benzotriazole, HBT), could degrade TrOC that are resistant to bacterial degradation (e.g. diclofenac, triclosan, naproxen and atrazine) but achieved low removal of compounds (e.g. ibuprofen, gemfibrozil and amitriptyline) that are well removed by conventional activated sludge treatment. Overall, the fungus-augmented MBR showed better TrOC removal compared to a system containing conventional activated sludge. The major role of biodegradation in removal by the MBR was noted. Continuous mediator dosing to …


Enhancement Of Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Powdered Activated Carbon Dosing Into Membrane Bioreactors, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Long Nghiem, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Chul Park, Kazuo Yamamoto Sep 2015

Enhancement Of Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Powdered Activated Carbon Dosing Into Membrane Bioreactors, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Long Nghiem, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Chul Park, Kazuo Yamamoto

Faisal I Hai

This study compared the removal efficiency of 22 widespread trace organic contaminants by a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) with and without direct addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) into the activated sludge reactor over a period of 312 days. The removal of hydrophilic and biologically persistent trace organic contaminants was immediately improved to above 95% after the addition of PAC into MBR. However, a compound-specific gradual decrease in removal underscored the requirement for the addition of fresh PAC. Adsorption onto PAC-added sludge appeared to play a significant role in the relatively more effective aqueous phase removal of a few resistant …


Wastewater Reuse: Removal Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants (Troc), Faisal Hai, Long Nghiem, Stuart Khan, William Price, Kazuo Yamamoto Sep 2015

Wastewater Reuse: Removal Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants (Troc), Faisal Hai, Long Nghiem, Stuart Khan, William Price, Kazuo Yamamoto

Faisal I Hai

This chapter reviews current and new technologies for the removal of emerging TrOC from wastewater for reuse purposes. In particular, it compares the relative performance of Membrane bioreactors (MBR) with other conventional biological processes. It is shown that MBR has many intrinsic advantages over other methods leading to superior performance. Fundamental to this is the presence of a membrane barrier which provides a range of other adsorption mechanisms for TrOC. However, in practice there are many factors affecting TrOC removal by MBR, leading to sometimes conflicting reports in the literature from both lab scale studies as well as full scale …


Removal Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants By Mbr-Based Hybrid Treatment Processes, Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Long D. Nghiem Sep 2015

Removal Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants By Mbr-Based Hybrid Treatment Processes, Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Long D. Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the complementarity of combining membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment with UV oxidation or high pressure membrane filtration processes such as nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) for the removal of trace organic contaminants (TrOC). The results suggest that the removal mechanisms of TrOC by either UV oxidation or NF/RO membrane filtration differ significantly from those of an MBR system. Thus, they can complement MBR treatment very well to significantly improve the removal of TrOC. MBR treatment can effectively remove hydrophobic and readily biodegradable hydrophilic TrOC. The remaining hydrophilic and biologically persistent TrOC were …


Enhancement Of Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Crude Enzyme Extract From Trametes Versicolor Culture: Effect Of Mediator Type And Concentration, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem Sep 2015

Enhancement Of Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Crude Enzyme Extract From Trametes Versicolor Culture: Effect Of Mediator Type And Concentration, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

The performance of two redox mediating compounds, namely 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) and syringaldehyde (SA), was compared in terms of enhancement of enzymatic degradation of a diverse set of 14 phenolic and 16 non-phenolic trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) and the toxicity of the treated media. Extracellular enzyme extract (predominantly containing laccase) from Trametes versicolor culture achieved efficient degradation (70-95%) of nine phenolic and one non-phenolic TrOCs. Mediator dosing extended the spectrum of efficiently degraded TrOCs to 13 phenolic and three non-phenolic compounds, with moderate improvements in removal of a few other non-phenolic compounds. TrOC removal efficiency improved significantly as the HBT dose …


Impact Of 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole Dosing On Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Laccase, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem Sep 2015

Impact Of 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole Dosing On Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Laccase, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

This study investigated the removal of five selected non-phenolic trace organic contaminants (TrOC) by extracellular enzyme extract from a white-rot fungus. Except diclofenac, no other investigated non-phenolic TrOC were degraded by the extracellular enzyme extract. Improvement of enzymatic degradation of all TrOC was achieved in the presence of a redox mediator, namely, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT). However, the enhancement of degradation was mediator concentration-specific. A significant improvement in degradation at higher dosage than 0.1 mM (HBT) was achieved.


Comparison Between Sequential And Simultaneous Application Of Activated Carbon With Membrane Bioreactor For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Wenshan Guo, Huu H. Ngo, Kuo-Lun Tung Sep 2015

Comparison Between Sequential And Simultaneous Application Of Activated Carbon With Membrane Bioreactor For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Wenshan Guo, Huu H. Ngo, Kuo-Lun Tung

Faisal I Hai

The removal efficiency of 22 selected trace organic contaminants by sequential application of granular activated carbon (GAC) and simultaneous application of powdered activated carbon (PAC) with membrane bioreactor (MBR) was compared in this study. Both sequential application of GAC following MBR treatment (MBR–GAC) and simultaneous application of PAC within MBR (PAC–MBR) achieved improved removal (over 95%) of seven hydrophilic and biologically persistent compounds, which were less efficiently removed by MBR-only treatment (negligible to 70%). However, gradual breakthrough of these compounds occurred over an extended operation period. Charged compounds, particularly, fenoprop and diclofenac, demonstrated the fastest breakthrough (complete and 50–70%, in …


Coupling Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption With Membrane Bioreactor Treatment For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal: Breakthrough Behaviour Of Persistent And Hydrophilic Compounds, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem Sep 2015

Coupling Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption With Membrane Bioreactor Treatment For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal: Breakthrough Behaviour Of Persistent And Hydrophilic Compounds, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

This study investigated the removal of trace organic contaminants by a combined membrane bioreactor - granular activated carbon (MBR-GAC) system over a period of 196 days. Of the 22 compounds investigated here, all six hydrophilic compounds with electron-withdrawing functional groups (i.e., metronidazole, carbamazepine, ketoprofen, naproxen, fenoprop and diclofenac) exhibited very low removal efficiency by MBR-only treatment. GAC post-treatment initially complemented MBR treatment very well; however, a compound-specific gradual deterioration of the removal of the above-mentioned problematic compounds was noted. While a 20% breakthrough of all four negatively charged compounds namely ketoprofen, naproxen, fenoprop and diclofenac occurred within 1000-3000 bed volumes …


Rejection And Fate Of Trace Organic Compounds (Trocs) During Membrane Distillation, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Tzahi Cath, Long D. Nghiem Sep 2015

Rejection And Fate Of Trace Organic Compounds (Trocs) During Membrane Distillation, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Tzahi Cath, Long D. Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

In this study, we examined the feasibility of membrane distillation (MD) for removing trace organic compounds (TrOCs) during water and wastewater treatment. A set of 29 compounds was selected to represent major TrOC groups, including pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters, industrial chemicals, and pesticides that occur ubiquitously in municipal wastewater. Results reported here suggest that rejection and fate and transport of TrOC during MD are governed by their volatility and, to a lesser extent, hydrophobicity. All TrOCs with pKH > 9 (which can be classified as non-volatile) were well removed by MD. Among the 29 TrOCs investigated in this study, three …


A Novel Membrane Distillation-Thermophilic Bioreactor System: Biological Stability And Trace Organic Compound Removal, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Hai, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Wenshan Guo, Hao Ngo, Tzahi Cath, Long Nghiem Sep 2015

A Novel Membrane Distillation-Thermophilic Bioreactor System: Biological Stability And Trace Organic Compound Removal, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Hai, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Wenshan Guo, Hao Ngo, Tzahi Cath, Long Nghiem

Faisal I Hai

The removal of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) by a novel membrane distillation-thermophilic bioreactor (MDBR) system was examined. Salinity build-up and the thermophilic conditions to some extent adversely impacted the performance of the bioreactor, particularly the removal of total nitrogen and recalcitrant TrOCs. While most TrOCs were well removed by the thermophilic bioreactor, compounds containing electron withdrawing functional groups in their molecular structure were recalcitrant to biological treatment and their removal efficiency by the thermophilic bioreactor was low (0-53%). However, the overall performance of the novel MDBR system with respect to the removal of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and TrOCs …


A Novel Type Of One-Dimensional Organic Selenium-Containing Fiber With Superior Performance For Lithium-Selenium And Sodium-Selenium Batteries, Hongqiang Wang, Sha Li, Zhixin Chen, Hua-Kun Liu, Zaiping Guo Jan 2014

A Novel Type Of One-Dimensional Organic Selenium-Containing Fiber With Superior Performance For Lithium-Selenium And Sodium-Selenium Batteries, Hongqiang Wang, Sha Li, Zhixin Chen, Hua-Kun Liu, Zaiping Guo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A novel type of organic selenide fiber composed of carbonized polyacrylonitrile/selenium (CPAN/Se) has been synthesized by heating polyacrylonitrile-selenium (PAN-Se) fibers via the electrospinning technique at 600°C. The Se molecules are confined by N-containing carbon ring structures in the form of energy-storing selenium side chains in the carbonized PAN matrix. This unique stable chemical structure with a conductive carbon skeleton connected to the selenium side chains and excellent mechanical stability can allow CPAN/Se composite cathodes to be charged and discharged in a low-cost carbonate-based electrolyte with excellent long cycle stability and quite good rate performance. The superior electrochemical performance of CPAN/Se …


Neutron-Gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination Using Organic Scintillators With Silicon Photomultiplier Readout, Rhys M. Preston, John Eberhardt, James Tickner Jan 2014

Neutron-Gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination Using Organic Scintillators With Silicon Photomultiplier Readout, Rhys M. Preston, John Eberhardt, James Tickner

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Neutron/Gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) was measured using stilbene and EJ-299-34 plastic scintillators with readout by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The SiPM pulses were digitized and processed for energy and pulse shape information using a digital technique performing numerical weighted integrations on each pulse. A genetic algorithm (GA) was developed to optimize the weighting vectors used for the pulse shape discrimination. Efficient PSD was obtained down to an electron-equivalent energy of 127 keV with stilbene and 391 keV with the EJ-299-34 PSD plastic. Separation at lower energies was possible at reduced detection efficiency, down to 78 keV and 186 keV at …


Removal Of Trace Organic Chemicals And Performance Of A Novel Hybrid Ultrafiltration-Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor, Ryan W. Holloway, Julia Regnery, Long D. Nghiem, Tzahi Cath Jan 2014

Removal Of Trace Organic Chemicals And Performance Of A Novel Hybrid Ultrafiltration-Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor, Ryan W. Holloway, Julia Regnery, Long D. Nghiem, Tzahi Cath

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A hybrid ultrafiltration-osmotic membrane bioreactor (UFO-MBR) was investigated for over 35 days for nutrient and trace organic chemical (TOrC) removal from municipal wastewater. The UFO-MBR system uses both ultrafiltration (UF) and forward osmosis (FO) membranes in parallel to simultaneously extract clean water from an activated sludge reactor for nonpotable (or environmental discharge) and potable reuse, respectively. In the FO stream, water is drawn by osmosis from activated sludge through an FO membrane into a draw solution (DS), which becomes diluted during the process. A reverse osmosis (RO) system is then used to reconcentrate the diluted DS and produce clean water …


Rejection And Fate Of Trace Organic Compounds (Trocs) During Membrane Distillation, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Tzahi Cath, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2014

Rejection And Fate Of Trace Organic Compounds (Trocs) During Membrane Distillation, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William E. Price, Tzahi Cath, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In this study, we examined the feasibility of membrane distillation (MD) for removing trace organic compounds (TrOCs) during water and wastewater treatment. A set of 29 compounds was selected to represent major TrOC groups, including pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters, industrial chemicals, and pesticides that occur ubiquitously in municipal wastewater. Results reported here suggest that rejection and fate and transport of TrOC during MD are governed by their volatility and, to a lesser extent, hydrophobicity. All TrOCs with pKH > 9 (which can be classified as non-volatile) were well removed by MD. Among the 29 TrOCs investigated in this study, three …


Enhancement Of Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Crude Enzyme Extract From Trametes Versicolor Culture: Effect Of Mediator Type And Concentration, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem Jan 2014

Enhancement Of Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Crude Enzyme Extract From Trametes Versicolor Culture: Effect Of Mediator Type And Concentration, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, Frederic Leusch, Felicity Roddick, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The performance of two redox mediating compounds, namely 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) and syringaldehyde (SA), was compared in terms of enhancement of enzymatic degradation of a diverse set of 14 phenolic and 16 non-phenolic trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) and the toxicity of the treated media. Extracellular enzyme extract (predominantly containing laccase) from Trametes versicolor culture achieved efficient degradation (70-95%) of nine phenolic and one non-phenolic TrOCs. Mediator dosing extended the spectrum of efficiently degraded TrOCs to 13 phenolic and three non-phenolic compounds, with moderate improvements in removal of a few other non-phenolic compounds. TrOC removal efficiency improved significantly as the HBT dose …


Impact Of Organic And Colloidal Fouling On Trace Organic Contaminant Rejection By Forward Osmosis: Role Of Initial Permeate Flux, Ming Xie, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech Jan 2014

Impact Of Organic And Colloidal Fouling On Trace Organic Contaminant Rejection By Forward Osmosis: Role Of Initial Permeate Flux, Ming Xie, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Fouling behaviour and its impact on the rejection of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) by forward osmosis (FO) were investigated.Membrane fouling was simulated using humic acid and colloidal particles asmodel foulants at different initial permeatewater fluxes.Water flux declinewas insignificant at an initial permeate flux of 9 L/m2h and the fouling layerwas loose and fluid-like. By contrast, thewater flux declinewas substantial at an initial permeate flux of 20 L/m2h, resulting in the formation of a compact fouling layer. Water flux recovery after physical cleaning for both humic acid and colloidal particle fouledmembraneswas consistently higher at an initial permeate flux of 9 L/m2h …


Effects Of Organic And Colloidal Fouling On The Rejection Of Two Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (Phacs) By Nanofiltration Processes: Role Of Membrane Foulants, Long D. Nghiem, Christiane Espendiller Jan 2014

Effects Of Organic And Colloidal Fouling On The Rejection Of Two Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (Phacs) By Nanofiltration Processes: Role Of Membrane Foulants, Long D. Nghiem, Christiane Espendiller

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

No abstract provided.


Enhancement Of Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Powdered Activated Carbon Dosing Into Membrane Bioreactors, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Long Nghiem, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Chul Park, Kazuo Yamamoto Jan 2014

Enhancement Of Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Powdered Activated Carbon Dosing Into Membrane Bioreactors, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Long Nghiem, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Chul Park, Kazuo Yamamoto

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This study compared the removal efficiency of 22 widespread trace organic contaminants by a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) with and without direct addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) into the activated sludge reactor over a period of 312 days. The removal of hydrophilic and biologically persistent trace organic contaminants was immediately improved to above 95% after the addition of PAC into MBR. However, a compound-specific gradual decrease in removal underscored the requirement for the addition of fresh PAC. Adsorption onto PAC-added sludge appeared to play a significant role in the relatively more effective aqueous phase removal of a few resistant …


Impact Of 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole Dosing On Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Laccase, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem Jan 2014

Impact Of 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole Dosing On Trace Organic Contaminant Degradation By Laccase, Ngoc Luong Nguyen, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, S Faraj Magram, William Price, Long Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This study investigated the removal of five selected non-phenolic trace organic contaminants (TrOC) by extracellular enzyme extract from a white-rot fungus. Except diclofenac, no other investigated non-phenolic TrOC were degraded by the extracellular enzyme extract. Improvement of enzymatic degradation of all TrOC was achieved in the presence of a redox mediator, namely, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT). However, the enhancement of degradation was mediator concentration-specific. A significant improvement in degradation at higher dosage than 0.1 mM (HBT) was achieved.


A Novel Membrane Distillation-Thermophilic Bioreactor System: Biological Stability And Trace Organic Compound Removal, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Wenshan Guo, Hao H. Ngo, Tzahi Cath, Long Nghiem Jan 2014

A Novel Membrane Distillation-Thermophilic Bioreactor System: Biological Stability And Trace Organic Compound Removal, Kaushalya Wijekoon, Faisal Ibney Hai, Jinguo Kang, William Price, Wenshan Guo, Hao H. Ngo, Tzahi Cath, Long Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The removal of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) by a novel membrane distillation-thermophilic bioreactor (MDBR) system was examined. Salinity build-up and the thermophilic conditions to some extent adversely impacted the performance of the bioreactor, particularly the removal of total nitrogen and recalcitrant TrOCs. While most TrOCs were well removed by the thermophilic bioreactor, compounds containing electron withdrawing functional groups in their molecular structure were recalcitrant to biological treatment and their removal efficiency by the thermophilic bioreactor was low (0-53%). However, the overall performance of the novel MDBR system with respect to the removal of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and TrOCs …


The Effects Of Feed Solution Temperature On Pore Size And Trace Organic Contaminant Rejection By The Nanofiltration Membrane Nf270, Hai Quang Dang, William E. Price, Long Duc Nghiem Jan 2014

The Effects Of Feed Solution Temperature On Pore Size And Trace Organic Contaminant Rejection By The Nanofiltration Membrane Nf270, Hai Quang Dang, William E. Price, Long Duc Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This study investigated the effect of feed temperature on membrane pore size and the rejection of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) by the nanofiltration (NF) membrane NF270. Filtration experiments were conducted using a cross flow membrane system at 20, 30 and 40 C. The membrane pore radius was estimated using the pore hindrance transport model at each temperature and the rejection data of three reference organic solutes (i.e. erythritol, xylose and glucose) experimentally obtained in this study. The results suggest that the pore size of an NF membrane is dependent on the feed solution temperature. An increase in the feed temperature …


Relating Rejection Of Trace Organic Contaminants To Membrane Properties In Forward Osmosis: Measurements, Modelling And Implications, Ming Xie, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech Jan 2014

Relating Rejection Of Trace Organic Contaminants To Membrane Properties In Forward Osmosis: Measurements, Modelling And Implications, Ming Xie, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Menachem Elimelech

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This study elucidates the relationship between membrane properties and the rejection of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in forward osmosis (FO). An asymmetric cellulose triacetate (CTA) and a thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide FO membrane were used for this investigation. The effective average pore radius (rp), selective barrier thickness over porosity parameter (l/ε), surface charge, support layer structural parameter (S), pure water permeability coefficient (A) and salt (NaCl) permeability coefficient (B) of the two membranes were systematically characterised. Results show that measured rejection of TrOCs as a function of permeate water flux can be well described by the pore hindrance transport model. …


Effects Of Feed And Draw Solution Temperature And Transmembrane Temperature Difference On The Rejection Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Forward Osmosis, Ming Xie, William E. Price, Long D. Nghiem, Menachem Elimelech Oct 2013

Effects Of Feed And Draw Solution Temperature And Transmembrane Temperature Difference On The Rejection Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Forward Osmosis, Ming Xie, William E. Price, Long D. Nghiem, Menachem Elimelech

William E. Price

The effects of feed and draw solution temperature and transmembrane temperature difference on the rejection of 12 trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) by two forward osmosis (FO) membranes were investigated. The membrane structure parameter (S) and the reverse salt (NaCl) flux selectivity (RSFS) were constant over the temperature range of 20-40 1C, suggesting that within this range, the solution temperature did not significantly influence the membrane polymeric structure. Draw solution properties, including diffusivity, viscosity, and osmotic pressure, played an important role in water and reverse salt (NaCl) flux behaviour and TrOC rejection. Pure water and salt (NaCl) permeability coefficients of the …


Coupling Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption With Membrane Bioreactor Treatment For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal: Breakthrough Behaviour Of Persistent And Hydrophilic Compounds, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem Oct 2013

Coupling Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption With Membrane Bioreactor Treatment For Trace Organic Contaminant Removal: Breakthrough Behaviour Of Persistent And Hydrophilic Compounds, Luong N. Nguyen, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Jinguo Kang, Long D. Nghiem

William E. Price

This study investigated the removal of trace organic contaminants by a combined membrane bioreactor - granular activated carbon (MBR-GAC) system over a period of 196 days. Of the 22 compounds investigated here, all six hydrophilic compounds with electron-withdrawing functional groups (i.e., metronidazole, carbamazepine, ketoprofen, naproxen, fenoprop and diclofenac) exhibited very low removal efficiency by MBR-only treatment. GAC post-treatment initially complemented MBR treatment very well; however, a compound-specific gradual deterioration of the removal of the above-mentioned problematic compounds was noted. While a 20% breakthrough of all four negatively charged compounds namely ketoprofen, naproxen, fenoprop and diclofenac occurred within 1000-3000 bed volumes …


Predicting The Fate Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants Of Concern During Mbr Treatment Based On Their Molecular Properties, K C. Wijekoon, L D. Nghiem, F I. Hai, J Kang, W E. Price Oct 2013

Predicting The Fate Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants Of Concern During Mbr Treatment Based On Their Molecular Properties, K C. Wijekoon, L D. Nghiem, F I. Hai, J Kang, W E. Price

William E. Price

We demonstrate that the fate of emerging trace organic contaminants during membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment can be qualitatively predicted by assessing their molecular properties. This work futher expands the qualitative framework for the prdiction of trace organic removal by MBR treatment reported in our recent study.