Biofouling UF car wash

Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were used to separate wastewater from car washes containing bacteria.After the separation was completed, the UF installations were washed with chemical agents.The study examined how effectively these chemical agents remove bacterial contamination from the installation.P3 Ultrasil 11 alkaline solutions (pH = 12) were used to clean the UF plant. This agent is recommended by membrane manufacturers, such as PCI, for cleaning membrane modules. In operation, the membranes were also washed with a 0.5% Insect solution (pH = 11.5). This detergent is used in car washes to remove insects from cars. The Insect solution, like P3 Ultrasil 11, contains NaOH and detergents.LMH permeate flux calculated as litres per quadratic metre of membrane per hourCFU Colony formed unit TMP transtransmembrane pressurePES PolyethersulfoneMPa mega PascalUF Ultrafiltration