Office of Research and Development Publications

A Review of Polymeric Membranes and Processes for Potable Water Reuse

Citation:

Warsinger, D. M., S. Chakraborty, E. W. Tow, M. H. Plumlee, C. Bellona, S. Loutatidou, L. Karimi, A. Mikelonis, A. Achilli, A. Ghassemi, L. P. Padhye, S. A. Snyder, S. Curcio, C. D. Vecitis, H. A. Arafat, AND J. H. Lienhard. A Review of Polymeric Membranes and Processes for Potable Water Reuse. Progress in Polymer Science. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 81:209-237, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2018.01.004

Impact/Purpose:

The purpose of this project is to summarize the increasingly important role membranes plays in the reuse of wastewater for beneficial purposes, mainly, the production of safe drinking water. Conventional water resources are significantly stressed in certain regions of the globe and meeting the water needs of population growth is becoming increasingly difficult. Every city produces wastewater and recent advancements in membrane technologies have allowed for the reclamation of this resource for the production of drinking water (i.e., potable reuse). At the same time, concerns about drinking water source contamination with industrial chemicals, algal toxins perfluorinated compounds and pharmaceuticals, among others, are on the rise and decontamination of drinking water system after contamination events are a Homeland Security research priority. Membranes for potable reuse are a less energy-intensive way to provide new water for water stressed regions, decontamination, and emergency response yet there are many research needs yet unexplored where new membrane materials are needed.