How algal caused ultrafiltration fouling depends on type and growth phase of algae

Depending on algae’s type and concentration, algae often have undesirable effects on water treatment procedures like ultrafiltration (UF) membrane processes, especially
during algae blooms (Henderson et al., 2008). The presence of algae and algae by-products can cause severe fouling and cake deposition on the membrane due to its accumulation (Babel & Takizawa, 2010). In surface water, the typical algal condition
can be found in the three states lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase and death phase in diverging portions. Various types of algae produce different amount of algal organic matter (AOM) and also cause different fouling behaviour in UF
membrane applications. This research work focused on the comprehensive
comparison between the two cell samples, “intact-living” (mostly present in exponential phase) and “lysed” (mostly present in death phase), in terms of membrane
fouling potential, hydraulic backwash-ability, and chemical enhanced cleaning ability.