BNL Study Targets Reduced Junk Buildup in Membranes

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and partner institutions have sought to understand how interactions between natural organic matter and positively charged ions usually found in water from dissolved minerals and salts can cause junk to pile up on the surface of membranes for water treatment applications. In a study published in the Journal of Membrane Science, the team harnessed synchrotron characterization techniques to assess the surface and bulk compositions of fouled membranes. Experiments showed that “synergistic” fouling, which involves contaminants competing with each other, could induce less fouling, the laboratory said Monday.