School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China.
School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209, China.
Water Res. 2024 Oct 15;264:122212. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122212. Epub 2024 Aug 5.
Ultralow pressure filtration system, which integrates the dual functionalities of biofilm degradation and membrane filtration, has gained significant attention in water treatment due to its superior contaminant removal efficiency. However, it is a challenge to mitigate membrane biofouling while maintaining the high activity of biofilm. This study presents a novel ceramic-based ultrafiltration membrane functionalized with tourmaline nanoparticles to address this challenge. The incorporation of tourmaline nanoparticles enables the release of nutrient elements and the generation of an electric field, which enhances the biofilm activity on the membrane surface and simultaneously alleviates intrapore biofouling. The tourmaline-modified ceramic membrane (TCM) demonstrated a significant antifouling effect, with a substantial increase in water flux by 60 %. Additionally, the TCM achieved high removal efficiencies for contaminants (48.78 % in TOC, 22.28 % in UV, and 24.42 % in TN) after 30 days of continuous operation. The fouling resistance by various constituents in natural water was individually analyzed using model compounds. The TCM with improved electronegativity and hydrophilicity exhibited superior resistance to irreversible fouling through increased electrostatic repulsion and reduced adhesion to foulants. Comprehensive characterizations and analyses, including interfacial interaction energies, redox reaction processes, and biofilm evolutions, demonstrated that the TCM can release nutrient elements to facilitate the development of functional microbial community within the biofilm, and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the membrane surface to the degrade contaminants and mitigate membrane biofouling. The electric field generated by tourmaline nanoparticles can promote electron transfer in the Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle, ensuring a stable and sustainable generation of ROS and bactericidal negative ions. These synergistic functions enhance contaminant removal and reduce irreversible fouling of the TCM. This study provides fundamental insights into the role of tourmaline-modified surfaces in enhancing membrane filtration performance and fouling resistance, inspiring the development of high-performance, anti-fouling membranes.
超低压过滤系统集成了生物膜降解和膜过滤的双重功能，因其具有优越的污染物去除效率，在水处理中受到了广泛关注。然而，减轻膜生物污染的同时保持生物膜的高活性是一个挑战。本研究提出了一种新型的基于陶瓷的超滤膜，其功能化了电气石纳米粒子，以解决这一挑战。电气石纳米粒子的掺入使营养元素的释放和电场的产生成为可能，从而增强了膜表面上生物膜的活性，同时缓解了内孔生物污染。经电气石改性的陶瓷膜（TCM）表现出显著的抗污染效果，水通量显著提高了 60%。此外，TCM 在连续运行 30 天后对污染物（TOC 去除率为 48.78%，UV 去除率为 22.28%，TN 去除率为 24.42%）的去除效率也很高。使用模型化合物对天然水中各种成分的污垢阻力进行了单独分析。具有改进的电负性和亲水性的 TCM 通过增加静电排斥和减少对污染物的粘附，表现出对不可逆污染的更高抗性。综合表征和分析，包括界面相互作用能、氧化还原反应过程和生物膜演变，表明 TCM 可以释放营养元素，促进生物膜内功能微生物群落的发展，并在膜表面产生活性氧物种（ROS）来降解污染物和减轻膜生物污染。电气石纳米粒子产生的电场可以促进 Fe(III)/Fe(II)循环中的电子转移，确保 ROS 和杀菌负离子的稳定和持续产生。这些协同作用增强了污染物的去除，减少了 TCM 的不可逆污染。本研究为电气石改性表面在增强膜过滤性能和抗污染性方面的作用提供了基础见解，为开发高性能、抗污染膜提供了启示。
