Transparent Exopolymer Particles in Drinking Water Treatment—A Brief Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Definition of TEP in Water Treatment
3. TEP in Source Water Reservoir
4. TEPs in Water Treatment Process
4.1. Removal of TEP by Water Treatment Process
4.2. Role of TEP in the Water Treatment Process
4.3. TEP in Drinking Water
5. Membrane Contamination Caused by TEPs
5.1. Mechanism of TEP-Induced Membrane Fouling
5.2. Effect of Alleviating TEP-induced Membrane Fouling
6. Conclusions and Prospects
- (1)
- It is difficult to separate AOM from organic matter and other sources in natural water. TEP can be used as an important characterization method to study AOM in natural water due to special chemical properties in TEP.
- (2)
- The seasonal water stratification has a significant impact on water quality and phytoplankton reproduction and may indirectly affect the formation of TEP in water. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation and research on the formation and the temporal and spatial distribution of TEP in a source water reservoir with a certain depth of water where stratification may occur.
- (3)
- The relationship between TEP and water treatment process is mutual. The impact of TEPs on the conventional water treatment process is an urgent problem to be addressed.
- (4)
- Mechanism of TEP-induced membrane fouling can be explained from three aspects: the formation of cake layer, provision of nutrients for microorganisms and a plug membrane channel. In addition to improving membrane materials, it is also a feasible way to reduce the generation probability of TEP by regulating the inlet water quality.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
TEP | Transparent exopolymer particles |
cTEP | Colloidal transparent exopolymer particles |
pTEP | Particulate transparent exopolymer particles |
AOM | Algal organic matter |
NOM | Natural organic matter |
DOM | Dissolved organic matter |
POM | Particulate organic matter |
EPS | Extracellular polymer |
COD | Chemical oxygen demand |
TOC | Total organic carbon |
RO | Reverse osmosis |
UF | Ultrafiltration |
MF | Microfiltration |
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Sample Type | pTEP | cTEP | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
μg Xeq·L−1 | μg Xeq·L−1 | ||
Neuse River Estuary (Jan Apr), USA | 991~1712 | / | [22] |
Neuse River Estuary (May–Aug), USA | 805~1801 | / | [22] |
Neuse River Estuary (Aug), USA | >3500 | / | [22] |
Pearl River Estuary (Jan), China | 88.7~1586.9 | / | [23] |
Pearl River Estuary (Aug), China | 521.5~1727.4 | / | [23] |
Lake Taihu, China | 0~5190 | / | [24] |
Lake Kinneret, Israel | 759~2385 | / | [25] |
Mediterranean lakes, Spain | 66~9038 | / | [26] |
North temperate lakes, USA | 36~1462 | / | [26] |
Quentar Reservoir, Spain | 1.9~335.2 | / | [27] |
Surface water, Belgium | 14.8 ± 14 | 684 ± 94 | [28] |
Ground water, Belgium | <5 | <50 | [28] |
Secondary wastewater effluent, Belgium | 102 ± 20 | 1470 ± 189 | [28] |
Surface water in a pond, Belgium | 2~143 | 5~137 | [29] |
Meuse River (Jul), The Netherlands | ~105 | ~165 | [30] |
Lake IJssel (Jun), The Netherlands | ~110 | ~500 | [30] |
Gent-Terneuzen canal (Jul), Belgium | ~80 | ~330 | [30] |
River Estuary (Jul), Belgium | ~230 | ~290 | [30] |
Surface water, The Netherlands | 990 | / | [31] |
Water Treatment Processes | Feed Water | Key Description | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Prechlorination | Secondary wastewater effluent | Increased cTEP and pTEP concentrations with respectively 34 and 41% | [28] |
Coagulation+Sedimentation | Surface water | A decrease of cTEP amount and an increase of pTEP weight, while total TEP concentrations did not change significantly | [28] |
Coagulation+Flotation | Surface water | The pTEP amount stayed minimal and the cTEP concentration decreased by 70% | [28] |
River water | Decreased the total TEP concentration further with 70% | [17] | |
Filtration | Effluent after Coagulation+Sedimentation | A good option to remove these coagulated pTEP (decrease ~90%) but was a too rough method to abate the smaller cTEP (decrease ~5%) | [28] |
Effluent after Coagulation+Flotation | The pTEP amount stayed minimal and the cTEP concentration increased | [28] | |
In-line coagulation | The removal of TEP was 70% while the remaining fraction of TEP was totally removed by UF | [31] | |
Coagulation Effluent | TEP concentrations in the input seawater were diminished by 27% (±19) after passing the stage of the sand/ mixed-bed filter | [37] | |
Activated carbon | Filter Effluent | Decreased the cTEP concentration further with 50% | [28] |
Biological activated carbon filter | Seawater | The AOC and TEP concentration in seawater was reduced significantly by 90% and 84%, respectively | [38] |
Membrane Processes | Feed Water | Rejection Rates | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Microfiltration (MF) | Canal water | 0% pTEP, cTEP ~70% | [30] |
Estuary water | ~65% pTEP, ~50% cTEP | [30] | |
Surface water | 95% pTEP, 97% cTEP ※ | [28] | |
Ultrafiltration (UF) | Surface water | 100% pTEP, 17~67% cTEP | [30] |
coagulation effluent | 100% pTEP | [31] | |
Filtration effluent | 95% pTEP, 97% cTEP ※ | [28] | |
coagulation effluent | ~100% pTEP, ~99% cTEP | [37] | |
coagulation effluent | 26~29% total TEP | [38] | |
Reverse osmosis (RO) | UF effluent | 100% | [30] |
Surface water | 100% | [28] |
Pretreatment Processes | Investment (Million ¥) | Notes |
---|---|---|
Micro-Flocculation + Multi-media Filtration | 7.0~10.0 | |
Coagulation + Sedimentation + Filtration + UF | 10.0~13.0 | Includes sludge treatment systems |
Micro-Flocculation + Filtration + UF | 11.0~13.0 | |
Coagulation + Flotation + Filtration + UF | 10.0~14.0 | Includes sludge treatment systems |
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Shi, J.; Yang, Y.; Yi, Q.; Zhang, J.; Wang, L. Transparent Exopolymer Particles in Drinking Water Treatment—A Brief Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 12344. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312344
Shi J, Yang Y, Yi Q, Zhang J, Wang L. Transparent Exopolymer Particles in Drinking Water Treatment—A Brief Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(23):12344. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312344
Chicago/Turabian StyleShi, Jianchao, Yongrui Yang, Qitao Yi, Jin Zhang, and Lianxiang Wang. 2021. "Transparent Exopolymer Particles in Drinking Water Treatment—A Brief Review" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 23: 12344. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312344