Integration of oxalic acid chelation and Fenton process for synergistic relaxation-oxidation of persistent gel-like fouling of ceramic nanofiltration membranes

Ceramic nanofiltration (NF) is a newly-developed technology for water recycling, but is still limited to pilot-scale applications. Lacking efficient and eco-friendly strategies for cleaning ceramic NF membrane impedes its scaling-up in industries. Forward flush, backwash and acidic/caustic cleaning are not efficient enough. In this work, a...

Sialic acids: An important family of carbohydrates overlooked in environmental biofilms

Sialic acids in the structural matrix of biofilms developing in engineered water systems constitute a potential target in the battle against biofouling. This report focuses specifically on the presence of sialic acids as part of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of biofilms forming in cooling towers and the potential effect of...