Microbial Biofouling of Surfaces in Environmental Systems
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Authors
Alvarado, Catalina
Issue Date
2017-05
Type
Electronic thesis
Thesis
Thesis
Language
ENG
Keywords
Environmental engineering
Alternative Title
Abstract
Implications of biofouling are significant in water purification systems employing polymeric membranes, which offer unparalleled water quality, low cost, and small process footprints. Applications range from microfiltration for particle and microbe removal, ultrafiltration for colloid and virus removal, and reverse osmosis for desalination. Membrane biofouling is a major operational problem leading to lower flux (capacity), reduced separation performance, and increases in energy use and cost. A photo-activated surface modification technique was developed as a route to help design anti-fouling strategies that mitigate biofouling. The effects of precursor events – adsorption or deposition of organic layers prior to biofilm formation, so-called conditioning – was studied to provide insight into potential treatment strategies. Results from these experiments highlight the importance of membrane surface chemistry and the effects of conditioning on biofouling.
Description
May 2017
School of Engineering
School of Engineering
Full Citation
Publisher
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY