Natural Organic Matter Removal from Drinking Water by Membrane Technology

Abstract

Aquatic natural organic matter (NOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of biopolymers and their degradation products that cause harmful by-products during drinking water production. The great variability in NOM composition makes it difficult to completely remove from drinking water by any single technique. The current article reviews the NOM removal by micro-, ultra- and nanofiltration and by hybrid processes combining membrane techniques with other unit processes: coagulation, adsorption, and oxidation, and by membrane bioreactors.