Polyethersulfone-silicon dioxide hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane for removal of bisphenol A

Extensive utilization of bisphenol A (BPA) in industrial production of polycarbonate plastics has led to frequent detection of BPA in water sources. It is a main concern among society as BPA is one of the endocrine disruption compounds that can cause hazard to human health even at extremely low concentration exposure. In view of this, polyethersulfone-silicon dioxide (PES-SiO2) hollow fiber ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was developed in this study and used as advanced water treatment process to tackle the problem of BPA. The membrane is composed of PES as main membrane forming material, dimethylacetamide as solvent and two additives i.e. SiO2 nanoparticles and polyvinylpyrrolidone. The SiO2 nanoparticles were initially modified using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) prior to blending into PES dope solution at different loadings (0, 1, 2 and 4 wt.%). The control PES and PES-SiO2 membranes were fabricated via dry-jet wet spinning process. The modified SiO2 nanoparticles and the membranes were characterized before the membrane performances were tested in filtration and batch adsorption study using water sample collected from a water treatment plant in Skudai, Johor. The transmission electron microscope results reveal that the surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticle using SDS was able to reduce agglomeration effect between the nanoparticles. The PES-SiO2 membranes improved mechanical, thermal, and hydrophilicity property compared to control PES membrane. The membranes also displayed higher water flux and BPA removal, owing to the presence of silanol and siloxane bonding groups which contribute to the BPA removal via adsorption mechanism. The blending of 2 wt.% SiO2 shows the highest membrane performances, recording 73.3 L/m2.h.bar water flux and 86% BPA removal. This membrane also shows 53 µg/g BPA adsorption capacity that is in accordance to the pseudo-secondorder kinetic model. Therefore, the membrane was selected for further studies under the effect of natural organic matter (NOM) and operating parameters towards removal of BPA. The presence of NOM exhibited negative impacts on the water flux and BPA removal due to membrane fouling and competition for adsorption site with BPA. The results for the effects of operating parameters demonstrated that promising BPA removal at 90-96% could be achieved. Furthermore, backwash cleaning of the membrane was able to recover more than 80% of BPA removal after three consecutive cycles of filtration. The optimization process of developed model via historical data design of research surface methodology (RSM) on the other hand, had predicted the optimum conditions for BPA removal were at the pressure of 1 bar, pH 7, 10 µg/L BPA concentration, and filtration time of 10 min that correspond to 99.61% BPA removal. In conclusion, the developed PES-SiO2 hollow fiber UF membrane system was found to have high potential for BPA removal and application in water treatment process

A study of reverse osmosis reject water at Bukit Gambir, Tangkak Haemodialysis Centre

Water is categorized by their few aspects according to the specific feature and it function usage in a certain compatible condition. Yet with rapidly population growth increasing around the world by about 85 million per year, the accessibility for fresh water supply per persons keep declining [1]. The increasing clean water demand causes the increasing environmental risks, costs and economic exploitation as it may disturb surrounding nature which leads into the more distant sources or greater depth. At this state, the minimization of waste water produce should be focused on to prevent it become worsen

Surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticles and its impact on the properties of PES-based hollow fiber membrane

In this work, polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes incorporated with modified silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles were prepared and characterized for a water treatment process. Prior to doping preparation, commercial SiO2 nanoparticles were first modified using a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution to minimize their agglomeration in the dope solution. The surface-modified nanoparticles were analysed by TEM, BET and zeta potential to determine the particle size, surface area and surface charge, respectively. The effect of modified SiO2 loadings ranging from zero to 4 wt% on the properties of PES-based membranes was examined with respect to thermal stability, hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, pure water flux and protein rejection. The results showed that the modified nanoparticles have reduced agglomeration and greater negative surface charge in comparison to the unmodified nanoparticles. SEM-EDX and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of modified SiO2 in the PES membrane matrix. It is also found that the thermal stability and hydrophilicity of the composite membranes were improved upon the addition of modified SiO2. The pure water flux and protein rejection of the composite membranes were significantly higher than the control PES membrane. At optimum nanoparticle loading (2 wt%), the composite membrane demonstrated 87.23 L m(-2) h(-1) water flux and 93.6% protein rejection in comparison to 44.2 L m(-2) h(-1) and 80.8% shown by the control PES membrane. The results suggested that the modified SiO2 nanoparticles have great potential to improve membrane water flux without compromising its rejection capability

Awareness on 3R practice: a case study at UTHM Pagoh residential college

Solid waste can be defined as any scrap material; or unwanted surplus substance; or rejected products arising from the application of any process [1]. This also includes any substance required to be disposed of as being broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled. Over the years, the problems of solid waste generation are increasing all over the world. In the year 2016, cities around the world generated 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.74 kilograms per person per day [2]. With rapid population growth and urbanisation, the annual waste generation is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tonnes by year 2050. The same trend can be seen in Malaysia. The waste generation rate in this country has been steadily increasing from 12.3 million tonnes in year 2013 to 13.9 million tonnes in year 2018 [3]. This amount is expected to increase to 14.4 million tonnes by year 2020

Natural adsorbent made from eggshells for removal of chromium (VI) in water

Substantial utilization of heavy metals in various industrial processes nowadays had cause heavy metal pollutions in the water. Hexavalent chromium, Cr (VI), is one of the heavy metals which has been extensively used in alloy pigment production and surface treatment. The present work reports natural adsorbent synthesis made from eggshell to reduce Cr (VI) in water. The eggshell adsorbents were prepared by several steps that include boiling, drying, calcination at 900 °C, grinding, pH adjustment, precipitation, and filtration. XRD results displayed a highly crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAp) peak that was successfully synthesized. FESEM analysis showed the morphology of the powder that was agglomerate with irregular cloud-like shapes, while EDS results presented the elements in the eggshell powders that include calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and oxygen (O). FTIR analysis revealed the presence of hydroxyl group (OH-) that contribute to the adsorption process. The adsorption experiment demonstrates the highest Cr (VI) removal and adsorption capacity of 70% and 285.71 mg/g, respectively, was attained by 6 g adsorbent dosage within 1 hour. Kinetic studies of the adsorption process were best described by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm model with a high correlation coefficient of 0.98. This work's findings suggested that eggshells are potential natural adsorbent to reduce heavy metal pollutions, specifically Cr(VI) in water

Potential application of bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia) peel as an adsorbent for the removal of total hardness In Kangkar Senangar’s groundwater

Lately many countries in the world are suffering with the shortage of fresh and clean drinking water as it is a source of life and energy. Rapid pace of industrialization, population expansion, and unplanned urbanization have largely contributed to the severe water pollution and surrounding soils [1]. The main sources of water pollution can be attributed by discharge of untreated sanitary and toxic industrial wastes, dumping of industrial effluent and runoff from agricultural fields. It is well known that 70–80% of all diseases in developing countries are related to water contamination, particularly that susceptible to women and children [2]. This is because water sources now become limited as drinking water quality has been reduced by pollution. Hardness is one of the problem related to unpalatable drinking water that need to be control at acceptable level

The removal of carbon/nitrogen in continuous reactor

The secondary wastewater treatment is process after primary wastewater treatment which is this process can more removal the suspended solid in wastewater. This treatment involves the biological process to remove the suspended solid in wastewater, which is consume the organic impurities as food, converting them into carbon dioxide, water, and energy for their own growth and reproduction. The secondary treatment objectives are to reducing the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and the effluent's suspended solids to appropriate levels. But in some case of wastewater need an advance treatment to reduce the level of contaminant especially nitrogen and carbon

Water treatment via filtration process

Water is important element for livelihood. About 71% of water covered the Earth surface with 96.5% is salt water, while the remaining 3.5% is fresh water for consumption [1]. The increased of population and urbanization had increase the demand for safe drinking water worldwide. The main challenges in producing potable water is the escalation of polluted water sources

The Adsorption Process using Custard Apple (Annona Squamosa) Seeds for the Removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand and Turbidity

River is considered as the most important freshwater source for human. Major rivers are used for drinking water supply, irrigation of agricultural lands, industrial and municipal water supplies, industrial and municipal water supplies. Water cannot be used directly from the sources due to the presence of contaminants [1]. Water used for drinking purpose should meet the water quality standards in the term of physical, biological and chemical characteristics. Therefore, effective water treatment is needed to improve the quality of wate

A study on awareness of household waste separation in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor: rural areas

Malaysia is embarking on green initiatives which have been expressly stipulated in the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). In order to transform ideas into reality, the government has identified six strategic thrusts and six game changers that will help Malaysia to stay ahead of global challenges and opportunities in the next five years. In one of the strategic thrusts, the government has planned a greener trajectory for sustainability and resilience [1]. As a result, governmental agencies such as the Department of Environment (DOE) has been given the mandate to conserve and protect the environment and its natural resources for present and future generations. Among the ways applied by the government for solving environmental problems, especially waste generation, include waste minimization, compost and incineration. The Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (SWPCM Act 2007) came into force on 1 September 2011. It was administered by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The main objective of the act is to regulate the management of controlled solid waste and to ensure high-quality services in solid waste management [2]. Apart from the government, the community should also play its role in minimizing waste generation at household level