Exploration of ferrate (VI) pretreatment and ultrasonication combined with gravity-driven membrane filtration for shale gas wastewater treatment

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 435; p. 140425
• Main Authors: Liao, Qingyi, Zhang, Chenglin, Tang, Peng, Shu, Jingyu, Wu, Qidong, Liu, Baicang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 05.01.2024
• Subjects: Ferrate (VI); Gravity-driven membrane; Membrane fouling; Shale gas wastewater; Ultrasonication; Shale gas wastewater; Ultrasonication; Ferrate (VI); Membrane fouling; Gravity-driven membrane
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140425

Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration has gained attention as a promising technology for the decentralized treatment of wastewater. However, one major limitation of GDM filtration is its relatively low permeate flux. In this work, we investigated the application of GDM filtration, combined with ferrate (VI) pretreatment and ultrasonication, for the shale gas wastewater (SGW) treatment, and evaluated their respective impacts on the GDM performance. The results of our study revealed that ultrasonication played a significant role in enhancing the flux of GDM filtration, with an observed increase of 265%. This improvement can be attributed to the effective removal of pollutants from the membrane surface and the reduction of the fouling layer thickness caused by ultrasonication. Compared to a GDM alone, ferrate (VI) pretreatment could notably change the microbial community structure and reduce the extracellular polymeric substances accumulation, which may be linked with an enhancement in stable flux. Ferrate (VI) pretreatment selectively enriched particular microorganisms in SGW, which might perform a role in specific organics degradation. These findings provide valuable insights and suggestions for enhancing the overall performance of GDM systems in wastewater treatment. Notably, the ultrasonically enhanced GDM system, which confers the characteristics of simple operation, low energy supply and no chemical pollution, has great application potential in wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] •Fe (VI) improved the stable flux of GDM unit by reducing EPS accumulation.•Ultrasonication (U) significantly enhanced the flux of GDM system.•Ultrasonication notably reduced the formation speed and thickness of fouling layer.•U-GDM: low-cost, automated, and simple operation has huge application potential.