Filtration of biological suspension: membrane performance

Wastewater reuse provides a substantial non-conventional water resource, mainly for agriculture. However, it requires appropriate treatment technologies and previous evaluation so as to meet quality requirements imposed by government regulations and crop needs. Among all the technologies applied to wastewater treatment, membrane-based systems have gained increasing importance, although their main drawback is progressive membrane fouling, which affects process efficiency enormously. The present study analyses the filterability of some biological suspensions as well as the influence of several variables in membrane fouling. Classic dead–end filtration models are used in an attempt to better understand fouling mechanisms and develop methods to prevent or retard it.