Catalytic ceramic membrane integrated with granular activated carbon for efficient removal of organic pollutants

A hybrid process of catalytic ceramic membrane integrated with granular activated carbon (GAC) was proposed for removal of organic pollutants in water. By coating flat-sheet ceramic membrane with Co oxide and loading GAC into membrane channels, the integrated catalytic ceramic membrane module (M-Co-GAC) with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and GAC adsorption was successfully prepared. The decontamination performance of the M-Co-GAC/PMS system was systematically investigated by using bisphenol A (BPA) as target pollutant. Excellent removal efficiency of the M-Co-GAC/PMS system was achieved, and hydroxyl radicals ((OH)-O-center dot) and sulfate radicals (SO4 center dot-) were identified as the major reactive species responsible for the degradation process. The M-Co-GAC/PMS system showed strong resistance to humic acid (HA) and various anions for BPA removal. Moreover, the M-Co-GAC/PMS system exhibited excellent universality for various organic pollutants, where M-Co-GAC had superior stability and reusability. The integrated process provides a proposed strategy for enhancing the remediation of organic pollutants.

Automated summary

A hybrid process of catalytic ceramic membrane integrated with granular activated carbon (GAC) was proposed for removal of organic pollutants in water. The integrated process showed excellent removal efficiency and resistance to humic acid and various anions. Hydroxyl radicals and sulfate radicals were identified as the major reactive species responsible for the degradation process. The integrated process provides a proposed strategy for enhancing the remediation of organic pollutants.