Membrane technology for water reuse in decentralised non-sewered sanitation systems: comparison of pressure driven (reverse osmosis) and thermally driven processes (membrane distillation and pervaporation)

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dc.contributor.authorMercer, Edwina V.
dc.contributor.authorDavey, Christopher J.
dc.contributor.authorBajón Fernández, Yadira
dc.contributor.authorSeptien, Santiago
dc.contributor.authorTyrrel, Sean
dc.contributor.authorCartmell, Elise
dc.contributor.authorPidou, Marc
dc.contributor.authorMcAdam, Ewan J.
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-10T16:08:15Z
dc.date.available2025-01-10T16:08:15Z
dc.date.freetoread2025-01-10
dc.date.issued2024-11-01
dc.date.pubOnline2024-08-19
dc.description.abstractMembrane processes are an established barrier technology for water reclamation from wastewater. Applied at a household scale to improve sanitation practice, membrane technology can disrupt the source–receptor pathway, alleviate water scarcity through eliminating flush water and recover clean water for reuse. However, blackwater comprises a distinct composition compared to municipal wastewater, and there is only limited understanding on whether membrane selectivity is sufficient to produce water of sufficient quality for reuse. In this study, pressure driven and thermally driven membranes are evaluated for their potential to treat blackwater, by relating selectivity to relevant water quality standards (ISO 30500) and the transmission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are primarily associated with faecal odour, and thus constitute a critical challenge to water reuse. Both pressure driven (reverse osmosis) and thermally driven (membrane distillation and pervaporation) membranes were able to produce water that conformed to category B of the ISO 30500 standard for the majority of determinants. A critical limiting factor was in the selectivity for ammonia and odorous VOCs which were generally poorly removed by reverse osmosis and membrane distillation. The high ammonia transmission was accounted for by the elevated pH of blackwater which shifted the ammonium equilibria toward volatile ammonia which is poorly separated by RO polymers, and is free to diffuse through the gas-filled micropores of the membrane distillation membrane. In contrast, greater ammonia and VOC separation was evidenced for the pervaporation membrane due to advanced polymer–solute interactions. In a preliminary assessment, the hydrophilicity exhibited by the membrane was also advantageous to withstanding fouling. If complemented with a polishing step to target the residual COD and VOCs (that may be of similar origin), pervaporation could deliver to category A standard for non-potable reuse. This is particularly advantageous for water scarce regions where solar or liquified fuels may be applied in favour of electricity for off-grid sanitation.
dc.description.journalNameEnvironmental Science: Water Research & Technology
dc.description.sponsorshipBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
dc.description.sponsorshipThis publication is based on research funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
dc.format.extentpp. 2831-2843
dc.identifier.citationMercer E, Davey C, Fernández YB, et al., (2024) Membrane technology for water reuse in decentralised non-sewered sanitation systems: comparison of pressure driven (reverse osmosis) and thermally driven processes (membrane distillation and pervaporation). Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Volume 10, Issue 11, November 2024, pp. 2831-2843en_UK
dc.identifier.eissn2053-1419
dc.identifier.elementsID553296
dc.identifier.issn2053-1400
dc.identifier.issueNo11
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1039/d4ew00200h
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/23365
dc.identifier.volumeNo10
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRoyal Society of Chemistry (RSC)en_UK
dc.publisher.urihttps://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/ew/d4ew00200h
dc.relation.isreferencedbyhttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/20712
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject4004 Chemical Engineeringen_UK
dc.subject40 Engineeringen_UK
dc.subject4011 Environmental Engineeringen_UK
dc.subject6 Clean Water and Sanitationen_UK
dc.titleMembrane technology for water reuse in decentralised non-sewered sanitation systems: comparison of pressure driven (reverse osmosis) and thermally driven processes (membrane distillation and pervaporation)en_UK
dc.typeArticle
dc.type.subtypeJournal Article
dcterms.dateAccepted2024-08-16

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