Wastewater treatment plays a strategic role in mitigating the potable water shortage that is crucial for economic and health reasons, considering the worldwide population growth. A new photocatalytic membrane reactor configuration, based on a vertical filter and an external nanofiltration (NF) membrane, was designed built and tested [1]. The hydraulic and photocatalyst separation behavior of the vertical filter, the ability of a nanofiltration membrane to retain the gemfibrozil (GEM) and the overall performance of the GEM photodegradation in a batch operation mode have been studied. This system allows the recycle in the photoreactor of the pollutants to produce a treated water with quality higher than a submerged membrane. Indeed, the membrane is external to the photoreactor therefore, it cannot be degraded by light irradiation. The advantage of using a vertical filter inside the reactor consists in retaining the photocatalyst particles while ensuring greater flux compared to a submerged membrane (200 vs 40 L m-2 h-1 average values). The obtained results showed a rejection of 40-50% using a Fortilife NF membrane at pH 8 with less filter clogging than pH 9.7 (90% rejection). The obtained overall performance (80% reduction of gemfibrozil concentration) can be further improved with a modification of the various operating parameters.

Photodegradation of a Model Pollutant in a Slurry Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor with Vertical Filter and External Membrane

C. Limonti;C. Lavorato;A. Siciliano;P. Argurio
2023-01-01

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plays a strategic role in mitigating the potable water shortage that is crucial for economic and health reasons, considering the worldwide population growth. A new photocatalytic membrane reactor configuration, based on a vertical filter and an external nanofiltration (NF) membrane, was designed built and tested [1]. The hydraulic and photocatalyst separation behavior of the vertical filter, the ability of a nanofiltration membrane to retain the gemfibrozil (GEM) and the overall performance of the GEM photodegradation in a batch operation mode have been studied. This system allows the recycle in the photoreactor of the pollutants to produce a treated water with quality higher than a submerged membrane. Indeed, the membrane is external to the photoreactor therefore, it cannot be degraded by light irradiation. The advantage of using a vertical filter inside the reactor consists in retaining the photocatalyst particles while ensuring greater flux compared to a submerged membrane (200 vs 40 L m-2 h-1 average values). The obtained results showed a rejection of 40-50% using a Fortilife NF membrane at pH 8 with less filter clogging than pH 9.7 (90% rejection). The obtained overall performance (80% reduction of gemfibrozil concentration) can be further improved with a modification of the various operating parameters.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11770/367978
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