Short-term adhesion and long-term biofouling testing of polydopamine and poly(ethylene glycol) surface modifications of membranes and feed spacers for biofouling control

Ultrafiltration, nanofiltration membranes and feed spacers were hydrophilized with polydopamine and polydopamine-g-poly(ethylene glycol) surface coatings. The fouling propensity of modified and unmodified membranes was evaluated by short-term batch protein and bacterial adhesion tests. The fouling p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2012-08, Vol.46 (12), p.3737-3753
Main Authors: Miller, Daniel J., Araújo, Paula A., Correia, Patricia B., Ramsey, Matthew M., Kruithof, Joop C., van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M., Freeman, Benny D., Paul, Donald R., Whiteley, Marvin, Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acetates
adhesion
Adhesion tests
Animals
Applied sciences
Bacteria
Bacterial Adhesion
Biofilm control
Biofouling
bovine serum albumin
BSA
Cattle
coatings
drinking water
ethylene glycol
Exact sciences and technology
Fouling
Glycols
Gram-negative bacteria
Indoles - analysis
Indoles - chemistry
Membranes
Membranes, Artificial
PEG
Pollution
Polyethylene Glycols - analysis
Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry
Polymers - analysis
Polymers - chemistry
Proteins
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - physiology
Serum Albumin - chemistry
Spacers
Surface Modification
Surface Properties
ultrafiltration
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Ultrafiltration, nanofiltration membranes and feed spacers were hydrophilized with polydopamine and polydopamine-g-poly(ethylene glycol) surface coatings. The fouling propensity of modified and unmodified membranes was evaluated by short-term batch protein and bacterial adhesion tests. The fouling propensity of modified and unmodified membranes and spacers was evaluated by continuous biofouling experiments in a membrane fouling simulator. The goals of the study were: 1) to determine the effectiveness of polydopamine and polydopamine-g-poly(ethylene glycol) membrane coatings for biofouling control and 2) to compare techniques commonly used in assessment of membrane biofouling propensity with biofouling experiments under practical conditions. Short-term adhesion tests were carried out under static, no-flow conditions for 1 h using bovine serum albumin, a common model globular protein, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common model Gram-negative bacterium. Biofouling tests were performed in a membrane fouling simulator (MFS) for several days under flow conditions similar to those encountered in industrial modules with the autochthonous drinking water population and acetate dosage as organic substrate. Polydopamine- and polydopamine-g-poly(ethylene glycol)-modified membranes showed significantly reduced adhesion of bovine serum albumin and P. aeruginosa in the short-term adhesion tests, but no reduction of biofouling was observed during longer biofouling experiments with modified membranes and spacers. These results demonstrate that short-term batch adhesion experiments using model proteins or bacteria under static conditions are not indicative of biofouling, while continuous biofouling experiments showed that membrane surface modification by polydopamine and polydopamine-g-poly(ethylene glycol) is not effective for biofouling control. [Display omitted] ► Surface modifications are not effective for biofouling control. ► Hydrophilic coatings do not limit biofouling. ► Short-term surface adhesion tests are not good predictors of biofouling. ► Membrane Fouling Simulators tests are good predictors of biofouling.
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2012.03.058