Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions
Water scarcity has been a global challenge for many countries over the past decades, and as a result, reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as a promising and cost-effective tool for water desalination and wastewater remediation. Currently, RO accounts for >65% of the worldwide desalination capacity;...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023021151 |
| _version_ | 1797837051914092544 |
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| author | Mahmoud A. Ahmed Sherif Amin Ashraf A. Mohamed |
| author_facet | Mahmoud A. Ahmed Sherif Amin Ashraf A. Mohamed |
| author_sort | Mahmoud A. Ahmed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water scarcity has been a global challenge for many countries over the past decades, and as a result, reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as a promising and cost-effective tool for water desalination and wastewater remediation. Currently, RO accounts for >65% of the worldwide desalination capacity; however, membrane fouling is a major issue in RO processes. Fouling reduces the membrane's lifespan and permeability, while also increases the operating pressure and chemical cleaning frequency. Overall, fouling reduces the quality and quantity of desalinated water, and thus hinders the sustainable application of RO membranes by disturbing its efficacy and economic aspects. Fouling arises from various physicochemical interactions between water pollutants and membrane materials leading to foulants' accumulation onto the membrane surfaces and/or inside the membrane pores. The current review illustrates the main types of particulates, organic, inorganic and biological foulants, along with the major factors affecting its formation and development. Moreover, the currently used monitoring methods, characterization techniques and the potential mitigation strategies of membrane fouling are reviewed. Further, the still-faced challenges and the future research on RO membrane fouling are addressed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:19:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb55750cf8e446f99f421e8ebfd14218 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:19:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb55750cf8e446f99f421e8ebfd142182023-04-29T14:51:35ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-04-0194e14908Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directionsMahmoud A. Ahmed0Sherif Amin1Ashraf A. Mohamed2Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt; Corresponding author.Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Al Azhar University, Cairo, EgyptChemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, EgyptWater scarcity has been a global challenge for many countries over the past decades, and as a result, reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as a promising and cost-effective tool for water desalination and wastewater remediation. Currently, RO accounts for >65% of the worldwide desalination capacity; however, membrane fouling is a major issue in RO processes. Fouling reduces the membrane's lifespan and permeability, while also increases the operating pressure and chemical cleaning frequency. Overall, fouling reduces the quality and quantity of desalinated water, and thus hinders the sustainable application of RO membranes by disturbing its efficacy and economic aspects. Fouling arises from various physicochemical interactions between water pollutants and membrane materials leading to foulants' accumulation onto the membrane surfaces and/or inside the membrane pores. The current review illustrates the main types of particulates, organic, inorganic and biological foulants, along with the major factors affecting its formation and development. Moreover, the currently used monitoring methods, characterization techniques and the potential mitigation strategies of membrane fouling are reviewed. Further, the still-faced challenges and the future research on RO membrane fouling are addressed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023021151RO-MembranesCharacterization of foulantsFouling monitoring and mitigationMembrane modification |
| spellingShingle | Mahmoud A. Ahmed Sherif Amin Ashraf A. Mohamed Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions Heliyon RO-Membranes Characterization of foulants Fouling monitoring and mitigation Membrane modification |
| title | Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions |
| title_full | Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions |
| title_fullStr | Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions |
| title_short | Fouling in reverse osmosis membranes: monitoring, characterization, mitigation strategies and future directions |
| title_sort | fouling in reverse osmosis membranes monitoring characterization mitigation strategies and future directions |
| topic | RO-Membranes Characterization of foulants Fouling monitoring and mitigation Membrane modification |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023021151 |
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