Removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals by nanofiltration membrane from water

The NF270 aromatic polyamide composite membrane was used to treat 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in water. The effects of concentration, operating pressure, pH, calcium concentration, humic acid and other factors on EE2 rejection efficiency at different operating pressures were studied. The experimental results indicated that EE2 in water can be rejected effectively by nanofiltration, the rejection could achieve 97.6%. Moreover, experimental results showed that concentration was unimportant, the highest retention of EE2 was at 0.6 MPa. With pH and calcium concentration increasing, EE2 rejection increased. Rejection increased significantly when humic acid was added, but it would also cause membrane fouling and the decline of membrane flux. Especially when EE2, humic acid and Ca²⁺ were all coexistence, membrane fouling was more serious.