The role of nanotechnology in industrial water treatment.

High-quality water is essential for most industrial processes, and many of these processes generate large volumes of contaminated wastewater. Nanotechnology has the potential to make industrial water treatment more efficient and less expensive, though promising technologies must be demonstrated at higher scales to make a real impact.

Identification and understanding of fouling in low-pressure membrane (MF/UF) filtration by natural organic matter (NOM).

An understanding of natural organic matter (NOM) as a membrane foulant and the behavior of NOM components in low-pressure membrane fouling are needed to provide a basis for appropriate selection and operation of membrane technology for drinking water treatment. Fouling by NOM was investigated by employing several innovative chemical and morphological analyses. Source (feed) waters with a high hydrophilic (HPI) fraction content of NOM resulted in significant flux decline.