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Membrane surface engineering to enhance microplastic and nanoplastic antifouling performance in water treatment
Summary
Tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) are increasingly showing up in our water supplies, and while special filters can remove them, these particles tend to clog and damage the filters over time, making water treatment less effective and more costly. This research shows that by re-engineering the surface of filter membranes, changing their texture and chemical properties, scientists can prevent plastic particles from sticking and building up, making it easier to clean the filters and keep them working longer. This matters because more reliable, longer-lasting water filtration means safer drinking water with fewer microplastics, which is important since these particles are linked to potential health concerns
Occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic environments has become a major environmental concern due to their persistence, widespread distribution, and growing detection in water and wastewater systems. While membrane-based processes are among the most effective technologies for removing these small plastic particles from water streams, MPs/NPs pose significant challenges to membrane operation. These challenges arise from the dual role of MPs/NPs in membrane processes, where they must be removed from water streams while also acting as foulants that reduce permeability, accelerate performance decline, increase cleaning requirements, and shorten membrane lifespan. Although membrane systems are increasingly applied to control these emerging particulate pollutants, most commercial systems were originally developed for conventional foulants rather than emerging pollutants such as MPs/NPs that not only have highly variable sizes but also diverse surface functionalities and aggregation behaviour. This challenge highlights the need to re-evaluate and optimise membrane surfaces for MP/NP fouling control, targeting improved fouling reversibility and enhanced long-term operational stability. In response to this need, this thesis investigated how tuning membrane surface properties, particularly hydrophilicity, surface charge, and interfacial structure, can be used to control MP/NP fouling and fouling reversibility. This was achieved through a series of studies conducted across both ultrafiltration (UF) and forward osmosis (FO) membrane platforms. In the UF studies, commercial poly(ethersulfone) membranes were modified through plasma induced grafting using monomers with distinct surface chemistries, including carboxyl-and amine-functional groups, as well as zwitterionic and mixed-charge chemistries. To extend the work beyond pressure-driven systems, a thin-film nanocomposite FO membrane was also developed by incorporating engineering metal-organic frameworks to examine the contribution of interfacial nanocomposite design to MP antifouling behaviour. Overall, this thesis shows that effective control of MP/NP fouling depends not only on retaining plastic particles but on engineering membrane surfaces that regulate adhesion, deposition, and cleaning efficiency. By linking surface chemistry with fouling behaviour across different membrane platforms, this work provides a clearer framework for designing more resilient membranes for emerging particulate contaminants in water treatment systems.