Biofouling is a particularly difficult problem among the various operational challenges in application of membrane systems for water and wastewater treatment. Common strategies include membrane surface modification to reduce bacterial and biopolymer adhesion, pretreatment to remove biopolymers, disinfection to control microbial growth, and chemical cleaning to remove fouling materials. These methods are either marginally effective or involve significant chemical usage that is unsustainable and could have negative environmental impact. Biological control of membrane biofouling, e.g., utilizing biochemical signal compounds to interfere with biofilm formation, is highly desirable, yet its implementation in engineered treatment systems is challenging due to the current high cost and the limited activity of biomolecules. The use of nanotechnology to deliver biochemical signal compounds has the potential to realize environmentally friendly and sustainable control of membrane biofouling. The presentation will discuss the research trend in this area, the advantages and limitations of bio-nanotechnology and its application in water and wastewater treatment.

Application of nano- and biotechnology in membrane biofouling control

246th National Meeting (2013)

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