Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater
Abstract In this study, we explore the possibility of reusing end-of-life seawater reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to treat brackish water and industrial effluent. Prior to cleaning the end-of-life RO membranes, we conducted several autopsies in order to assess the extent of degradation. Based on the...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88818-3 |
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| author | Anissa Somrani Zaineb Mohamed Kholoud Abohelal Sara Larhrib Noreddine Ghaffour Maxime Pontié |
| author_facet | Anissa Somrani Zaineb Mohamed Kholoud Abohelal Sara Larhrib Noreddine Ghaffour Maxime Pontié |
| author_sort | Anissa Somrani |
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| description | Abstract In this study, we explore the possibility of reusing end-of-life seawater reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to treat brackish water and industrial effluent. Prior to cleaning the end-of-life RO membranes, we conducted several autopsies in order to assess the extent of degradation. Based on these results, three cleaning protocols were tested and Ultrasil10 and/or chlorine solution were selected for further investigation. The cleaning capacity of the chlorine treatment at 4000 ppm.h was tested but proved inefficient as it leads to a denser cake and a significant decrease in hydraulic permeability. Therefore, we recommend commencing chemical cleaning with Ultrasil10 to remove foulants, thereby reconditioning the end-of-life RO membranes to meet nanofiltration membrane specifications. The cleaned end-of-life RO membranes exhibited enhanced hydraulic permeability (1.97 L·h⁻¹·m⁻²·bar⁻¹) and achieved a salt rejection of 85% for brackish water (6 g/L NaCl). With a molecular weight cutoff of 86 Da, these membranes effectively reduced brackish water conductivity to below 1000 µS/cm at 10 bars, complying with Tunisian drinking water standards (300–2500 µS/cm). Additionally, they demonstrated high efficiency in treating industrial effluents, achieving turbidity levels below 2 NTU and conductivity of 180 µS/cm. Operating at lower pressures, these membranes provided cost-effective, sustainable solutions and performed comparably to commercial new NF membranes, validating their potential for reuse in brackish water and wastewater treatment applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ca21747ec18487abb8be4ee35326ddc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ca21747ec18487abb8be4ee35326ddc2025-02-09T12:31:53ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-02-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-88818-3Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewaterAnissa Somrani0Zaineb Mohamed1Kholoud Abohelal2Sara Larhrib3Noreddine Ghaffour4Maxime Pontié5Physics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf UniversityPhysics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf UniversityPhysics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf UniversityGroup of Analysis and Processes, Faculty of Sciences, University of AngersEnvironmental Science and Engineering Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyGroup of Analysis and Processes, Faculty of Sciences, University of AngersAbstract In this study, we explore the possibility of reusing end-of-life seawater reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to treat brackish water and industrial effluent. Prior to cleaning the end-of-life RO membranes, we conducted several autopsies in order to assess the extent of degradation. Based on these results, three cleaning protocols were tested and Ultrasil10 and/or chlorine solution were selected for further investigation. The cleaning capacity of the chlorine treatment at 4000 ppm.h was tested but proved inefficient as it leads to a denser cake and a significant decrease in hydraulic permeability. Therefore, we recommend commencing chemical cleaning with Ultrasil10 to remove foulants, thereby reconditioning the end-of-life RO membranes to meet nanofiltration membrane specifications. The cleaned end-of-life RO membranes exhibited enhanced hydraulic permeability (1.97 L·h⁻¹·m⁻²·bar⁻¹) and achieved a salt rejection of 85% for brackish water (6 g/L NaCl). With a molecular weight cutoff of 86 Da, these membranes effectively reduced brackish water conductivity to below 1000 µS/cm at 10 bars, complying with Tunisian drinking water standards (300–2500 µS/cm). Additionally, they demonstrated high efficiency in treating industrial effluents, achieving turbidity levels below 2 NTU and conductivity of 180 µS/cm. Operating at lower pressures, these membranes provided cost-effective, sustainable solutions and performed comparably to commercial new NF membranes, validating their potential for reuse in brackish water and wastewater treatment applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88818-3 |
| spellingShingle | Anissa Somrani Zaineb Mohamed Kholoud Abohelal Sara Larhrib Noreddine Ghaffour Maxime Pontié Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater Scientific Reports |
| title | Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| title_full | Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| title_fullStr | Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| title_short | Transforming end-of-life SWRO desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| title_sort | transforming end of life swro desalination membranes into nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of brackish water and wastewater |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88818-3 |
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