Interactions between natural organic matter (NOM) and membranes: Rejectionand fouling

This work demonstrates that interactions between membranes and natural orga nic matter (NOM) include rejection by both steric and electrostatic exclusi on, and fouling by adsorption. NOM rejection and fouling are influenced by both NOM characteristics (molecular weight, aromaticity:humic content, and charge) and membrane properties (molecular weight cutoff (MWCO), hydrophobi city, and charge) as well as hydrodynamic operating conditions represented by a f/k ratio(the ratio of permeate flux (f) to a diffusional back-transpo rt mass transfer coefficient (k)). (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science L td on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved.