Electro-oxidation as efficient pretreatment to minimize the membrane fouling in water reuse processes

The effluent from a wastewater treatment plant was pretreated with an electrochemical cell using boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes in order to control the fouling of an ultrafiltration membrane. The results showed that the electrochemical pretreatment decreased 36-67% the transmembrane pressure (TMP), and consequently the membrane fouling, with increasing applied current densities. The removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and turbidity by the membrane process was enhanced 40% and 41% respectively using the electro-oxidation pretreatment. The removal of DOC in the pretreatment stage correlated well with the maximum TMP reached. The application of electro-oxidation as a pretreatment stage points out to be a promising alternative to reduce the membrane fouling and increase the water quality for water reuse applications.