Recently, the Aquatic Biology Research team led by Prof. Zhou Wenzong from the Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute of SAAS published a paper entitled "Investigation of membrane fouling and mechanism induced by extracellular organic matter during long-term exposure to pharmaceuticals and personal care" in the Environment Research (IF=8.431). SAAS is the first completion unit. Associate research Huang Weiwei is the first author, Prof. Zhou Wenzong is the corresponding author.

Microalgae are the major producers of aquatic ecosystems and important food sources for the freshwater fish and crustaceans, which are abundant in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and aquaculture waters, while the problem of water environment safety caused by explosive proliferation of algae and formation of algae bloom have attracted global concern. Membrane filtration could effectively treat the algae-containing waters, the bacteria, viruses, and other toxic and harmful substances can also be removed to ensure the safety of natural and aquaculture water.

Yet considering the frequently detection of emerging pollutants-Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) in the natural water and/or aquaculture water, in particular the water safety issue induced by the antibiotics in aquaculture water, this research investigated the membrane fouling behavior and mechanism of ultrafiltration by extracellular organic matter from the perspective of long-term exposure of PPCPs to blooming algae. This research has important significance for the application of ultrafiltration in the algae-containing water, as well as important guidance for the practical theoretical basis and technical support of the antibiotics-containing aquaculture water treatment. 

The research was supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Shanghai Rising-Star Program.

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S00139******2011008

  posted by Huang Weiwei from Eco-environmental Protection Research Institute