The influence of textile wastewater (TWW) secondary effluent on ultrafiltration (UF) membrane characteristics was investigated. TWW treated with a membrane bioreactor was subjected to four commercial UF membranes (2, 3, 5, and 10 kDa). Both the pristine membranes and the membranes after TWW secondary effluent treatment were characterized. Surface roughness, microscopic analysis of the membrane surface and cross-section, zeta potential, contact angle, membrane composition, and membrane flux were compared. After treatment of secondary effluent, the zeta potential decreased for 5 and 10 kDa membranes, while the contact angle and surface roughness increased for all investigated membranes. In addition, a fouling layer formed on all membranes, and new interactions with pollutants and membranes were confirmed. Membranes with larger pores (5 and 10 kDa) showed a greater decrease in permeate flux during treatment. Detailed analysis showed variations in membrane characteristics after TWW secondary effluent treatment, indicating the stability of the membranes used.
Keywords: membrane characteristics; membrane fouling; textile wastewater; ultrafiltration.