Jährig Jeannette, Kleyböcker Anne, Kraus Fabian, Melchiorsen Line Rodenkam, Milter Hasse, Thisgaard Preben, Vredenbregt Leo, Miehe Ulf
Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH, Grunewaldstr. 61-62, Berlin 10825, Germany E-mail:
Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH, Grunewaldstr. 61-62, Berlin 10825, Germany.
Water Sci Technol. 2025 Mar;91(6):698-713. doi: 10.2166/wst.2025.025. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
The challenge of water reclamation using membranes in this study was the quite unique wastewater composition resulting from a high share of biotech wastewater. The high content of organic matter and high concentrations of calcium, bicarbonate, and sulphate were considered as challenging for membrane processes. Consequently, an innovative ultra-tight ultrafiltration (u-t UF) membrane was developed and tested on-site at pilot scale. In comparison, a conventional UF and an open nanofiltration (NF) were piloted. The aim was to find the best pre-treatment option for reverse osmosis (RO) to reduce fouling and scaling and produce fit-for-purpose water; for example, cooling. Overall, the quality of the currently used water source was surpassed by the pilot plant. Only a standard post-treatment of the RO permeate was necessary for stabilisation. Results indicated that denser membranes only minimally reduced fouling of RO. An assessment comparing the treatment trains in a life cycle assessment using the data collected from the pilot operation (UF/NF operating settings, RO plant performance, and the design of multi-stage industrial scale RO) revealed lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to seawater desalination. However, if the RO brine treatment becomes mandatory, the greenhouse gas emissions from water reclamation and supply will be higher than those from freshwater supply.
本研究中使用膜进行水回收面临的挑战是，由于生物技术废水占比高，废水成分颇为独特。有机物含量高以及钙、碳酸氢根和硫酸根浓度高被认为对膜工艺具有挑战性。因此，开发了一种创新的超紧密超滤（u-t UF）膜并在中试规模下进行现场测试。相比之下，还对传统超滤和开放式纳滤（NF）进行了中试。目的是找到用于反渗透（RO）的最佳预处理方案，以减少污垢和结垢，并生产出适用的水，例如用于冷却。总体而言，中试工厂的水质超过了当前使用的水源。RO渗透液只需进行标准的后处理即可实现稳定。结果表明，更致密的膜仅能略微减少RO的污垢。利用从中试运行收集的数据（UF/NF运行设置、RO装置性能以及多级工业规模RO的设计）在生命周期评估中对各处理流程进行比较评估，结果显示与海水淡化相比，温室气体排放量更低。然而，如果RO浓盐水处理成为强制性要求，水回收和供应产生的温室气体排放量将高于淡水供应产生的排放量。
